A recent review of attendance data at Mantech University

A recent review of attendance data at Mantech University indicates that more and more students have been skipping classes. To address this problem, the management board has implemented a disciplinary system in which students who do not attend at least 85 percent of their classes would have to wait until the following semester to write their midterms. In estimating the average grades, students who are held back from writing their midterms will be put into the same category as those who failed their midterms. After the implementation of this system, the average class grades of both the freshman year and the sophomore year students were almost the same. And, there were many more sophomore year students than freshman year students who failed to meet the minimum attendance requirement. Clearly, sophomore students who were not held back from their midterms scored higher grades on average than freshman students.


In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A.The first is a conclusion that is disputed by the argument; the second is a judgment that supports the author’s main conclusion.
B. The first provides a reason that supports the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a judgment that supports the author’s main conclusion.
C. The first is a consideration that forms the basis of a conclusion made in the argument; the second provides a reason for the author’s main conclusion.
D. The first is a consideration that forms the basis of a conclusion made in the argument; the second is that conclusion.
E. The first provides evidence that has been used to challenge a position that is disputed by the argument; the second is that position.