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03 Feb 2026, 11:51
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58% (01:29) correct
42%
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A city councilor argues that banning privately owned cars from the downtown area will substantially reduce the city’s overall air pollution levels. The councilor reasons that since privately owned cars account for a majority of vehicle traffic downtown, eliminating them from that area will significantly lower pollution citywide.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the councilor’s argument?
(A) Commercial delivery vehicles, which would still be permitted downtown, emit substantially more pollutants per vehicle than privately owned cars.
(B) Cities that have banned privately owned cars downtown have experienced economic growth in surrounding neighborhoods.
(C) Many commuters who currently drive privately owned cars downtown would instead switch to public transportation.
(D) Air pollution levels in the city have declined slightly in recent years despite an increase in downtown traffic.
(E) Residents living outside the downtown area contribute more to total vehicle miles traveled than downtown commuters.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the councilor’s argument?
(A) Commercial delivery vehicles, which would still be permitted downtown, emit substantially more pollutants per vehicle than privately owned cars.
(B) Cities that have banned privately owned cars downtown have experienced economic growth in surrounding neighborhoods.
(C) Many commuters who currently drive privately owned cars downtown would instead switch to public transportation.
(D) Air pollution levels in the city have declined slightly in recent years despite an increase in downtown traffic.
(E) Residents living outside the downtown area contribute more to total vehicle miles traveled than downtown commuters.
03 Feb 2026, 12:23
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A city councilor argues that banning privately owned cars from the downtown area will substantially reduce the city’s overall air pollution levels. The councilor reasons that since privately owned cars account for a majority of vehicle traffic downtown, eliminating them from that area will significantly lower pollution citywide.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the councilor’s argument?
The argument treats “most downtown vehicles” as if it means “most of the pollution that matters for the whole city.” I’d say the best weakener shows that private cars are not the main source of emissions downtown, so removing them would not cut pollution by much.
A. Commercial delivery vehicles, which would still be permitted downtown, emit substantially more pollutants per vehicle than privately owned cars.
This most seriously weakens. Even if private cars are most of the traffic, they might contribute less of the emissions if delivery vehicles pollute far more per vehicle. Then removing private cars removes a lot of vehicles but not necessarily a lot of pollution. That breaks the key link from “majority of traffic” to “big citywide pollution drop.” This is exactly traffic share is not emissions share.
B. Cities that have banned privately owned cars downtown have experienced economic growth in surrounding neighborhoods.
This is about economic outcomes, not air pollution. It does not challenge the pollution reasoning.
C. Many commuters who currently drive privately owned cars downtown would instead switch to public transportation.
This supports the argument because it suggests fewer private cars will be driven, which would tend to reduce emissions.
D. Air pollution levels in the city have declined slightly in recent years despite an increase in downtown traffic.
This shows other factors also affect pollution, but it does not show that banning private cars downtown would fail to reduce pollution.
E. Residents living outside the downtown area contribute more to total vehicle miles traveled than downtown commuters.
This suggests a lot of driving happens outside downtown, but it does not directly show that the downtown private car ban would not reduce emissions substantially. It is weaker than (A), which directly targets the councilor’s central assumption.
Answer: (A)
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the councilor’s argument?
The argument treats “most downtown vehicles” as if it means “most of the pollution that matters for the whole city.” I’d say the best weakener shows that private cars are not the main source of emissions downtown, so removing them would not cut pollution by much.
A. Commercial delivery vehicles, which would still be permitted downtown, emit substantially more pollutants per vehicle than privately owned cars.
This most seriously weakens. Even if private cars are most of the traffic, they might contribute less of the emissions if delivery vehicles pollute far more per vehicle. Then removing private cars removes a lot of vehicles but not necessarily a lot of pollution. That breaks the key link from “majority of traffic” to “big citywide pollution drop.” This is exactly traffic share is not emissions share.
B. Cities that have banned privately owned cars downtown have experienced economic growth in surrounding neighborhoods.
This is about economic outcomes, not air pollution. It does not challenge the pollution reasoning.
C. Many commuters who currently drive privately owned cars downtown would instead switch to public transportation.
This supports the argument because it suggests fewer private cars will be driven, which would tend to reduce emissions.
D. Air pollution levels in the city have declined slightly in recent years despite an increase in downtown traffic.
This shows other factors also affect pollution, but it does not show that banning private cars downtown would fail to reduce pollution.
E. Residents living outside the downtown area contribute more to total vehicle miles traveled than downtown commuters.
This suggests a lot of driving happens outside downtown, but it does not directly show that the downtown private car ban would not reduce emissions substantially. It is weaker than (A), which directly targets the councilor’s central assumption.
Answer: (A)
03 Feb 2026, 22:51
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The Argument:
The councilor claims: Banning private cars downtown → substantially reduce citywide air pollution.
Why? Because private cars are the majority of downtown traffic.
The Hidden Assumption:
The councilor assumes that more vehicles = more pollution.
But this is the trap! Being the majority of vehicles doesn't mean being the majority of pollution.
Why (A) Destroys the Argument:
Commercial delivery vehicles:
- Will still be permitted downtown
- Emit substantially more pollutants per vehicle
Think of it this way:
- 100 private cars × 1 unit pollution each = 100 units
- 20 delivery trucks × 10 units pollution each = 200 units
Even after removing all 100 cars, the 200 units from trucks remain!
So banning private cars may not substantially reduce pollution at all.
Why Other Choices Fail:
(B) Economic growth → Irrelevant to pollution
(C) Switching to public transit → Actually strengthens the argument!
(D) Past pollution trends → Doesn't address this specific policy
(E) Miles traveled outside downtown → Doesn't weaken downtown ban's effect
Here, the assumption is that vehicle COUNT determines pollution levels. Answer (A) shows that pollution PER VEHICLE matters more.
Answer: A
The councilor claims: Banning private cars downtown → substantially reduce citywide air pollution.
Why? Because private cars are the majority of downtown traffic.
The Hidden Assumption:
The councilor assumes that more vehicles = more pollution.
But this is the trap! Being the majority of vehicles doesn't mean being the majority of pollution.
Why (A) Destroys the Argument:
Commercial delivery vehicles:
- Will still be permitted downtown
- Emit substantially more pollutants per vehicle
Think of it this way:
- 100 private cars × 1 unit pollution each = 100 units
- 20 delivery trucks × 10 units pollution each = 200 units
Even after removing all 100 cars, the 200 units from trucks remain!
So banning private cars may not substantially reduce pollution at all.
Why Other Choices Fail:
(B) Economic growth → Irrelevant to pollution
(C) Switching to public transit → Actually strengthens the argument!
(D) Past pollution trends → Doesn't address this specific policy
(E) Miles traveled outside downtown → Doesn't weaken downtown ban's effect
Here, the assumption is that vehicle COUNT determines pollution levels. Answer (A) shows that pollution PER VEHICLE matters more.
Answer: A
