Technology is radically improving the quality of life in some co

Hello, honey1. I would be happy to help out. If you think (B) is an irrefutable statement because it perfectly parallels the second line of the passage, then you are correct. Choice (C), meanwhile, takes that same line and cobbles it together with the last line, such that companies involved in those activities from the second line now create, add, and contribute in certain ways. How to choose between the two? The good news is that neither one is the answer to the question being asked, which has us identify the conclusion instead. We can identify that conclusion by an indirect process by paying attention to the transition after all. This transition indicates that a reason, formally called a premise, or multiple premises, will follow. If we have premises after the transition, then what precedes it must be the conclusion itself. Consider the following example:

a) It is highly unlikely that humans, of their own efforts, will make direct contact with intelligent, intergalactic alien life forms. After all, the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way is approximately 25,000 light years away, and the resources required to sustain human life aboard even the most technologically advanced human-made spacecraft would be far too great.

Notice that there are two premises—distance and resources—just as there are in the passage we are examining. If you were to remove the transition and reposition the first sentence so that it followed what is now the second sentence, you would create a perfect premise-conclusion argument. This is exactly how we can reinterpret the passage at hand:



Choice (A) is exactly what we want, and the transition, as discussed above, offers us the tell-tale sign we need to feel sure of our answer.



I hope that helps. If you have further questions, feel free to ask. Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

thanks
i got this but i have a doubt that whether i can regard all sentences starting with "after all" as premises. can i assume this as a rule ????

Careful, honey1. Words such as all, when combined with rule, lead into dangerous territory. You should look instead to contextual clues for guidance, and if I were to tell you to create a rule, I am sure some clever person would find a way to throw a monkey-wrench into that rule. Think of this as a general convention of grammar. Yes, after all typically indicates that a premise or multiple premises will follow. My best advice for these sorts of CR questions (actually, this one is a logical reasoning question from the LSAT, so it is a bit different) is to pay attention to transitions in general. They often reveal how you are meant to interpret one sentence in relation to another. If you want further practice along these lines, I would suggest taking on a few boldface questions to get the hang of it.

Good luck.

- Andrew

To confirm whether you have correctly identified the conclusion, apply the WHY TEST:
1. Ask why the apparent conclusion is true
2. The rest of the argument should provide an answer



Here, the conclusion appears to be the green statement above:
Technology is radically improving the quality of life in some communities, and not only by direct application of innovations.

Applying the WHY TEST to the statement in green, we get:
WHY is it true that technology is radically improving the quality of life in some communities, and not only by direct application of innovations?

The rest of the argument -- highlighted in red above -- provides an answer:
Because the design, production, testing, and marketing of new technology has itself become a growing industry that is turning around the fortunes of once-ailing communities and the companies involved create jobs, add to the tax base, and contribute to an upbeat spirit of renewal.

The statement in green passes the WHY TEST and thus is the conclusion.

Only option A offers a valid paraphrase of the statement in green:
A: The direct application of innovations is not the only way in which technology is radically improving the quality of life in some communities.

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