Professor: The author's reconstruction of the street system of medieval Constatinopole is based on the assumption that the position of present-day constitutes evidence of medieval street alignment. While
this is not an unreasonable assumption, the author's reconstruction is suspect because, for one thing, the structures that are alleged to preserve medieval street alignments are of widely differing dates spanning fourteen centuries. Some may claim that later structures replaced earlier ones on the same alignment,
but there is no archaeological evidence to support this.Which of the following most accurately describes the roles played in the professor's argument by the two portions in boldface?
A. The first is a premise meant to support the argument's main conclusion; the second is presented as a rebuttal of a cited objection.
B. The first is meant as a concession to a position that the argument rejects; the second is meant to undermine a potential objection to a premise of the argument.
C. The first states a criticism of the position that the argument rejects; the second is meant to undermine a potential objection to a premise of the argument.
D. The first expresses partial agreement with the position that the argument rejects; the second is the position the argument rejects.
E. The first anticipates and rejects a criticism to which the argument could be susceptible; the second denies an assumption upon which an opposing argument rests.
Source: topgmat