Most of the world's supply of uranium currently comes from the mines.

Type: Evaluate
Boil It Down: Extracting uranium from seawater is not commercially viable until costs are reduced.
Missing Information: Factors that could make extracting uranium from seawater commercially viable.
Goal: Find the option that would help us determine whether extracting uranium from seawater can become commercially viable.

Analysis: The argument states that extracting uranium from seawater is not currently commercially viable due to its higher cost compared to the market price of uranium. To evaluate this argument, we need to find an option that would help us determine if there are factors or conditions that could make extracting uranium from seawater commercially viable in the future.

A) Yes. If the uranium in deposits on land is rapidly being depleted, it could lead to a scarcity of uranium, which in turn could drive up the market price of uranium. If the market price becomes higher than the cost of extracting uranium from seawater, then this method could become commercially viable. This option helps us evaluate the argument.

B) Whether most uranium is used near where it is mined does not provide any information about the costs or market prices involved in extracting uranium from seawater. This option does not help us evaluate the argument.

C) While technological advances that reduce the costs of extracting uranium from seawater might make this method more attractive, it does not directly address the issue of whether it would be commercially viable. The commercial viability depends on both the costs and market price of uranium. This option provides only partial information and does not help us fully evaluate the argument.

D) Knowing the total amount of uranium in seawater compared to land does not provide any information about the costs or market prices involved in extracting uranium from seawater. This option does not help us evaluate the argument.

E) Whether uranium can be extracted from freshwater at a cost similar to that of extracting it from seawater does not provide any information about the costs or market prices involved in extracting uranium from seawater. This option does not help us evaluate the argument.

Correct Answer: A

Bigger GMAT Picture:
On Evaluate questions, it's important to identify the core claim of the argument and then focus on finding an option that would help us determine if that claim is true or false. In this case, understanding whether land-based uranium resources are being depleted helps us assess if extracting uranium from seawater could become commercially viable in the future. It's also important to remember that Evaluate questions test your ability to recognize factors that could impact an argument's conclusion, even if they are not explicitly mentioned in the passage.