In the United States, adults who don't graduate high school earn on av

In the United States, adults who don't graduate high school earn on average 35% less than adults who do graduate high school. No other industrialized nation has such a severe earnings gap; adults without a HS diploma typically earn about 80 percent of the salaries earned by high school graduates in nations across Asia, Europe and elsewhere. These figures clearly indicate that American high schools are the world's best at teaching advanced skills to their students.

Each of the following statements, if true, weaken the author's claim EXCEPT:

A. Of all the industrialized nations, the United States has the lowest proportion of specialized tradesmen, people who often lack high school diplomas yet earn high salaries for their skills.

B. Due to recent global changes, in many newly industrialized nations advances in education precede advances in business infrastructure, resulting in a disparity between skilled employees and the jobs which would require these skills.

C. Unlike in the United States, in certain other industrialized nations it is possible for a student to attend a university without earning a high school diploma.

D. A survey of sixth graders around the world revealed that children in North America spend, on average, fewer hours per week studying than do their counterparts in Europe.

E. The unemployment rate for adults in the United States who didn't finish high school is significantly higher than the rate for their counterparts in most other industrialized nations.