First Boldface Portion (Plan):
"The hospital will develop its outpatient services to provide clients with the opportunity to visit a nutritionist, a gym, and/or a masseuse on the hospital premises." This is a plan by the hospital administrator to diversify income by expanding outpatient services.
Criticism: Critics argue that similar plans at other hospitals have failed because the money generated from insurance payments is much greater than what is expected from these additional services.
Second Boldface Portion (Support for the Plan):
"Nevertheless, this initiative will not result in a reduction of the hospital's income."This is the administrator's conclusion about the consequence of implementing the plan, specifically addressing the concern that it might reduce income.
A. The first presents a plan that the administrator has deemed unworkable; the second is an explanation of why it is unworkable.This is incorrect. The administrator does
not deem the plan unworkable. They are defending it against criticism.
B. The first presents a plan to reorganize the hospital's finances; the second is evidence in support of this plan.Incorrect. The first portion is a plan to diversify income, but it doesn't explicitly focus on a
reorganization of finances. Moreover, the second is not evidence supporting it, but rather a conclusion about its outcome.
C. The first presents a plan, one of whose consequences is debated in the argument; the second is the speaker's conclusion about this consequence.Correct. The first portion presents the plan (developing outpatient services), and critics debate a potential consequence (financial viability). The second portion is the administrator's
conclusion about this consequence (it won't reduce income).
D. The first presents a plan that has significantly more disadvantages than advantages; the second describes a benefit of this plan.Incorrect. The argument does not suggest that the plan has significantly more disadvantages than advantages. It is a
criticism of the plan, not a discussion of a balance of disadvantages and advantages.
E. The first presents a plan that the argument attempts to defend against criticism; the second is the criticism of the plan itself.Incorrect. While the first portion presents the plan, the second is
not the criticism. Instead, the second boldface portion is the
support for the plan, not the criticism itself.
The correct answer is C.