During the past year, Pro-Tect Insurance Company’s total payouts on ca

Argument Breakdown:
First Boldface: "Pro-Tect cannot reduce the number of car-theft policies it carries, so cannot protect itself against continued large payouts that way."

This rules out a potential solution: reducing the number of policies. It implies that this strategy won't help mitigate the company's financial issues.

Second Boldface: "Thus, because cars with antitheft devices are rarely stolen, Pro-Tect’s plan is likely to reduce its annual payouts."

This is the main conclusion of the argument. The argument concludes that the plan to offer a discount to policyholders who install antitheft devices will reduce Pro-Tect's payouts.

Evaluating Each Option:
(A): "The first rules out a certain strategy for achieving a goal; the second presents the strategy that was adopted instead and whose effectiveness the argument assesses."
Correct: The first boldface rules out reducing the number of policies as a strategy. The second boldface presents the strategy that was adopted (offering discounts for antitheft devices) and argues that it will be effective in reducing payouts.

(B): "The first is a judgment made in support of a certain conclusion; the second is that conclusion."
Incorrect: The first boldface is not a judgment supporting a conclusion. It simply rules out one option. The second boldface is the conclusion, but the first is not supportive of it.

(C): "The first has been used as a consideration to support adopting a certain strategy for achieving a goal; the second reports a decision to adopt an alternative strategy."
Incorrect: The first boldface is not a consideration to support the adopted strategy; it's just a rejection of another strategy. The second boldface presents the conclusion, not a mere report of a decision.

(D): "The first provides evidence in favor of adopting a certain strategy for achieving a goal; the second reports a decision to pursue an alternative goal."
Incorrect: The first boldface does not provide evidence in favor of the strategy; it eliminates a different strategy. The second boldface presents a conclusion, not an alternative goal.

(E): "The first is a consideration offered against adopting a certain strategy for achieving a goal; the second is the main conclusion that the argument is seeking to establish."
Incorrect: The first boldface indeed rules out a particular strategy (reducing policies), and the second is the main conclusion of the argument, which supports the effectiveness of the plan to offer discounts for antitheft devices.

Answer: A