The spokesman for the Ministry of Transport announced that the

Question

The spokesman for the Ministry of Transport announced that the ministry has decided to pave roads with underground wiring as an alternative to spreading salt on the ice- and snow-covered roads. However, an official in the Ministry, who opposes the Ministry’s decision, was quoted saying that due to the high initial costs, the project cannot be cost-effective .

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the official's objection to the Ministry’s decision?

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the official's objection to the Ministry’s decision?

(A) Wiring roads has proved to be an effective means of preventing the accumulation of snow.

(B) Recent surveys indicate that ice-covered roads are the number one cause of car accidents in the winter.

(C) Last year, the Ministry of Transport spent a third of its budget on winter road maintenance in fuel, salt and personnel.

(D) Several countries, which have already wired their roads, still use salt as an additional measure.

(E) The price of electricity, on which the underground wiring system runs, has been increasing steadily over the past ten years.

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pudu · Answer

Here the official objected the measure on the basis of cost. So the answer should be something that prove it wrong. Option (C) Last year, the Ministry of Transport spent a third of its budget on winter road maintenance in fuel, salt and personnel. It indicating that ministry is spending a huge amount every year for winter road maintenance . So the objection on the ground of initial cost is not standing due to recurring huge spending on winter road maintenance. Hence C

sood1596 · Answer

To weaken the official's objection to the Ministry's decision, we need to find information that suggests the initial high costs of the underground wiring project can still result in cost-effectiveness or other benefits. Let's analyze the answer choices:

(A) Wiring roads has proved to be an effective means of preventing the accumulation of snow.

This statement provides support for the effectiveness of the underground wiring solution but does not address the official's objection regarding cost-effectiveness.
(B) Recent surveys indicate that ice-covered roads are the number one cause of car accidents in the winter.

While this information highlights a problem related to ice-covered roads, it doesn't directly address the cost-effectiveness of the wiring project.
(C) Last year, the Ministry of Transport spent a third of its budget on winter road maintenance in fuel, salt, and personnel.

This information suggests that a significant portion of the budget is currently allocated to winter road maintenance, which could potentially justify the initial high costs of the wiring project if it leads to cost savings in the long run. This option weakens the official's objection by showing the potential for cost-effectiveness.
(D) Several countries, which have already wired their roads, still use salt as an additional measure.

This information doesn't directly address the cost-effectiveness of the wiring project.
(E) The price of electricity, on which the underground wiring system runs, has been increasing steadily over the past ten years.

This option weakens the argument for the underground wiring project by highlighting the rising costs associated with it, which aligns with the official's objection rather than weakening it.
Among the given options, (C) provides information that weakens the official's objection by suggesting that the high initial costs of the wiring project may be justified if they lead to cost savings compared to the current expenses on winter road maintenance. Therefore, (C) is the most appropriate choice to weaken the objection.

DrAnkita91 · Answer

The officials objection is because of the high cost. Only option c and option e are talking about the cost. Here option e is strengthner of the objection and option c is the weakness. so option c is the answer

KD_Mumbai · Answer

Doubt on Answer C.

We don't know what is the amount of one-third cost of the total budget. What if underground wiring costs are 100 times that?

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

The spokesman for the Ministry of Transport announced that the ministry has decided to pave roads with underground wiring as an alternative to spreading salt on the ice- and snow-covered roads. However, an official in the Ministry, who opposes the Ministry’s decision, was quoted saying that due to the high initial costs, the project cannot be cost-effective .

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the official's objection to the Ministry’s decision?

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the official's objection to the Ministry’s decision?

(A) Wiring roads has proved to be an effective means of preventing the accumulation of snow.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Weakening question, first break down the argument. The first sentence quotes a decision, presenting the Ministry of Transport's position. The next sentence has a reason conjunction (due to) which is followed by the premise (high costs) and then the official's conclusion.

The Ministry's Decision: build roads with underground wiring instead of using salt to clear roads
 +
Premise A: there are high-initial costs
 =
Official's Conclusion: this project is not cost-effective, i.e., wasteful

Possible assumption: nothing is saved by moving to roads with underground wiring

Weakening Data: ?

You are required to find data that weakens the official's view that the project is wasteful or supports the Ministry's decision. The correct answer could be one that exposes the argument's assumption.

This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the official's position as it does not discuss the cost of the project and its effectiveness in relation to that cost. The underground wiring system may be effective but if it costs too much it's not cost-effective.

(B) Recent surveys indicate that ice-covered roads are the number one cause of car accidents in the winter.

Incorrect.

This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the official's position as it does not discuss the cost of the project, only its importance. According to this, either underground wiring in roads or spreading salt would do, as long as the roads are clear of ice.

(C) Last year, the Ministry of Transport spent a third of its budget on winter road maintenance in fuel, salt and personnel.

This answer choice attacks the argument's assumption by showing that a third of the Ministry budget can be saved if the underground wiring is installed in roads. By doing so, the new system isn't just a waste of money - it also saves a fortune spent on road maintenance, a fact which weakens the officials objection.

(D) Several countries, which have already wired their roads, still use salt as an additional measure.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Weakening question, first break down the argument. The first sentence quotes a decision, presenting the Ministry of Transport's position. The next sentence has a reason conjunction (due to) which is followed by the premise (high costs) and then the official's conclusion.

The Ministry's Decision: build roads with underground wiring instead of using salt to clear roads
 +
Premise A: there are high-initial costs
 =
Official's Conclusion: this project is not cost-effective, i.e., wasteful

Possible assumption: nothing is saved by moving to roads with underground wiring

Weakening Data: ?

You are required to find data that weakens the official's view that the project is wasteful or supports the Ministry's decision. The correct answer could be one that exposes the argument's assumption.

This answer choice supports the official's view by confirming the assumption that the underground wiring system does not save in expenses. If the roads still need salt to be cleared of ice, the underground wiring system is indeed wasteful. However, you were required to weaken the official's view rather than strengthen it.

(E) The price of electricity, on which the underground wiring system runs, has been increasing steadily over the past ten years.

Incorrect.

This answer choice actually strengthens the official as it states that the price of electricity is rising. This makes the option of wiring roads more expensive. However, you were meant to weaken the official's objection by showing that the wiring system is not as wasteful as the official claims it to be.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Transport announced that the

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