Official Solution:Water monitoring systems used to test stream water for pollutants in Dinsdale County have been found to be less effective than had been hoped. To remedy this situation, the county commissioner has issued a directive that requires any town in Dinsdale County that wants to monitor its streams to use a new system that provides more accurate information. Which of the following, if true, most strongly indicates that the county commissioner's directive will fail to achieve the desired results?A. The cost of the new monitoring system is more than can be afforded by almost all the towns within Dinsdale County.
B. The new monitoring system is only about 15% more accurate than the old one.
C. The pollution in the streams in Dinsdale County has significantly decreased since the monitoring system was put in place three years ago.
D. Because of water runoff from several large factories, Dinsdale County has more pollution in its streams than any other county in the state.
E. Replacing the old monitoring system requires positioning the new monitors in areas that are closer to parks.
CR Box: Weaken
1) BID (Boil It Down) The new monitoring system will work better and can be properly implemented
2) Destroy the underlying reasoning Undercut the county commissioner's directive (the new system does not work better, or can not be readily implemented)
Choice A is correct. If the new monitoring system is not affordable, then no monitoring will take place, leading to a worse situation than before, when the older (imperfect) system was used. The desired result - better monitoring - will not be achieved, weakening the commissioner's conclusion.
Choice B tells us that the new system is not an enormous improvement, but it still is an improvement, so this will not hurt the commissioner's argument. It strengthens it.
Choice C gives us background information that does not directly impact the argument. The water situation might have improved because of the old monitoring situation (or not), but that has no bearing on whether the new system will lead to a superior outcome.
Choice D provides an irrelevant comparison. This comparison does not affect the commissioner's conclusion at all.
Choice E gives us some information about the two systems, but this particular fact - the new monitors will be closer to parks - does not directly weaken the conclusion. Will the new positions lead to less accurate monitoring? Maybe, maybe not.
Answer: A
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