Bunuel wrote:
Hospital Administrator: The majority of HealthWize Hospital's income currently comes from three main insurance companies. In order to diversify its sources of income, the hospital will develop its outpatient services to provide clients with the opportunity to visit a nutritionist, a gym, and/or a masseuse on the hospital premises. Critics have protested that, at other hospitals, such plans have not worked because the funds raised through insurance payments far outweigh the money that will be brought in through these additional services. Nevertheless, this initiative will not result in a reduction of the hospital's income. Major service providers, including BeWell Nutrition and Fitness, have committed to moving their main branches to HealthWize Hospital, which will definitely prove to be an attraction for people from neighboring areas, making this a more popular venture than other hospitals'.
In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
A. The first presents a plan that the administrator has deemed unworkable; the second is an explanation of why it is unworkable.
B. The first presents a plan to reorganize the hospital's finances; the second is evidence in support of this plan.
C. The first presents a plan, one of whose consequences is debated in the argument; the second is the speaker's conclusion about this consequence.
D. The first presents a plan that has significantly more disadvantages than advantages; the second describes a benefit of this plan.
E. The first presents a plan that the argument attempts to defend against criticism; the second is the criticism of the plan itself.
Magoosh Official Explanation
Answer = (C).
In the first sentence, the administrator is explaining what the hospital will do; in the second, she is claiming that it will not negatively impact the hospital’s income. The income is debated in the passage, but she concludes that it is not an issue, making (C) the best description of the roles the bolded sentences play.
(A) can’t be right in this case, because the administrator believes in this plan and thinks it will work. The negatives of (A) make it incorrect.
(B) is wrong in scope. The administrator explains that this plan presents a new source of income for the hospital; it isn’t a complete reorganization of the hospital’s finances. Furthermore, the second is statement is a prediction of the future, so it is NOT evidence.
While there may be some disadvantages to this plan (D), it is hard to say that there are significantly more disadvantages than advantages. As the administrator explains them, it sounds as though the plan will be beneficial, if anything.
Finally, while the first part of (E) could be correct, in that the administrator is presenting a plan that she defends from criticism, the second sentence is not the criticism itself, but rather a rebuttal to that criticism.
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