State researchers have found that since the oil price increases of the

(D) is reduced standard of living. Your logic would work if the option stated that the days were extremely hot.

+1 C.

Each of the other choices either causes reduced standard of living or changes the way people spend their time. However C shows standard of living was maintained without much cost.

tough one..difficult choice between C and E...
A - changes of standards of living - so helps explain - out
B - how people changed the way they spent time - so help to explain - out
C - so what? not an example of how people changed the standard of living/time they spent
D - example of how standard of living changed - out
E - example of how people changed standard of living - though - shower - what does it have to do with energy? someone might shower with cold water. where is the energy spent here though?

picked C in the end..

I can understand why C in answer. But why is A wrong. Doesn't it mean that more heaters are being bought which may lead to increase in consumption of electricity ?

Or it supports the conclusion on the basis that people are changing the way they spend time, and there is a assumption that portable heaters consume less power ?

Your latter statement is correct. The reasoning for A is as follows:
The families shift from conventional central heating to localized portable heating, thereby saving energy. Portable heaters heat only the the rooms the families occupies, but conventional heating heats the building irrespective of occupation.

Hi Sayantan,

I did not understand why C is the ans. IMO C is actually supporting the fact that people reduced their standard of living.

Regards,
Arunava

Could you give an example of some kind of inexpensive work on heating system (to acheive higher efficiency) that inidcates a change in standard of living? In my opinion, carrying out inexpensive work on heating systems do not imply a change in standard of living. For example, getting the heating coil cleaned for acheiving better heat exchange cannot be considered a change in standard of living.

State researchers have found that since the oil price increases of the 1970s, there has been a decline in home energy consumption. They concluded that almost all of the decline has been achieved through reduced standards of living and changes in the way people spend their time.

Each of the following, if true, would support the conclusion above EXCEPT:

The author of the argument has attributed reduced standards of living and changes in the way people spend their time for the decline in the home energy consumption.

(A) Sales of portable heaters rose as families concentrated their winter activities in a limited number of rooms.

Since the activities are now limited to a number of rooms, this change goes to show that there is a change in the standard of living. Instead of heating the entire house that probably consumed more energy, the people have shifted to portable heaters to heat only certain rooms. SUPPORTS.

(B) During the winter months, more people frequented public places such as libraries and community centers and, on the average, spent considerably longer periods in them than they had previously.

People now spend more time at public places that show a change in how they spend their time. Also, spending greater time at the public places means that they are saving on the energy consumption at home. SUPPORTS.

(C) More than 39 percent of households were able to decrease energy costs substantially by having relatively inexpensive work done to improve the efficiency of their existing heating systems.

Inexpensive works don't show any change in the standard of living or how people spend their time. They have simply achieved higher efficiency and thus lower consumption of energy by doing some simple things. DOES NOT SUPPORT.

(D) At least 59 percent of households maintained a lower indoor temperature than they had been accustomed to maintain on very cold days.

This clearly shows the change in the standard of living in order to lower the energy consumption. SUPPORTS.

(E) Members of at least 60 percent of households showered for shorter periods of time than they had previously.

Again, a change in the standard of living to lower the energy consumption. SUPPORTS.

State researchers have found that since the oil price increases of the 1970s, there has been a decline in
home energy consumption. They concluded that almost all of the decline has been achieved through reduced standards of living and changes in the way people spend their time. Each of the following, if true, would support the conclusion above EXCEPT:

(A) Sales of portable heaters rose as families concentrated their winter activities in a limited number of rooms.

(B) During the winter months, more people frequented public places such as libraries and community centers and, on the average, spent considerably longer periods in them than they had previously.

(C) More than 39 percent of households were able to decrease energy costs substantially by having relatively inexpensive work done to improve the efficiency of their existing heating systems.
--> correct! Declining consumption is due to improve the efficiency of their existing heating systems, not reduced standards of living and changes in the way people spend their time.

(D) At least 59 percent of households maintained a lower indoor temperature than they had been accustomed to maintain on very cold days.

(E) Members of at least 60 percent of households showered for shorter periods of time than they had previously.

Imo C
Option C talks about the reduction in energy by using more efficient appliances which means they did not lower their standard of living or spent time elsewhere.

(A) Sales of portable heaters rose as families concentrated their winter activities in a limited number of rooms. this suggests the families adjusted by changing their sttandard of living. INCORRECT

(B) During the winter months, more people frequented public places such as libraries and community centers and, on the average, spent considerably longer periods in them than they had previously. This suggests that people adjusted by changing the way they spend their time. INCORRECT

(C) More than 39 percent of households were able to decrease energy costs substantially by having relatively inexpensive work done to improve the efficiency of their existing heating systems. This suggests that households adjusted by improving efficiency of heating systems which is neither a change in standard of living or change in time spent.CORRECT

(D) At least 59 percent of households maintained a lower indoor temperature than they had been accustomed to maintain on very cold days.This is a chnage in standard of living. INCORRECT

(E) Members of at least 60 percent of households showered for shorter periods of time than they had previously.This is a change in standard of living.INCORRECT

State researchers have found that since the oil price increases of the 1970s, there has been a decline in home energy consumption. They concluded that almost all of the decline has been achieved through reduced standards of living and changes in the way people spend their time.

Each of the following, if true, would support the conclusion above EXCEPT:

(A) Sales of portable heaters rose as families concentrated their winter activities in a limited number of rooms. - WRONG. Complies with standard of living.

(B) During the winter months, more people frequented public places such as libraries and community centers and, on the average, spent considerably longer periods in them than they had previously. - Complies with the way people spend their time.

(C) More than 39 percent of households were able to decrease energy costs substantially by having relatively inexpensive work done to improve the efficiency of their existing heating systems. - CORRECT. This encapsulates everything what passage mentions, confusing things in a manner that it looks enticing to chose as right answer. But this confusion itself is a red flag as in how >39% is enough to lead to decrease in cost. It uses similar sounding words to trap test taker.

(D) At least 59 percent of households maintained a lower indoor temperature than they had been accustomed to maintain on very cold days. - WRONG. Complies with standard of living.

(E) Members of at least 60 percent of households showered for shorter periods of time than they had previously. - WRONG. Complies with standard of living.
If someone concentrates how home energy consumption declined then he/she may falter in identifying the right option. The second sentence is the conclusion wherein two parameters are set within which out of five four should comply.

Answer C.

(C) More than 39 percent of households were able to decrease energy costs substantially by having relatively inexpensive work done to improve the efficiency of their existing heating systems.

Doesnt decrease energy cost results in reduced standard of living? Or is it just reducing expenses while maintaining the standard of living?

(D) At least 59 percent of households maintained a lower indoor temperature than they had been accustomed to maintain on very cold days.

Maintained a lower temperature means - earlier they were maintaining 45 degree celcius and now they are maintaining 20 degrees. So, its colder now?