PrepTest 118, Section 4, Question 6
Although we could replace the beautiful—but dilapidated—old bridge(45 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- AIt is no(11 more words not shown)
- BA concrete skyway(10 more words not shown)
- CThe beauty of(6 more words not shown)
- DIf the new(16 more words not shown)
- EBuilding a cable(16 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why pay more for the cable bridge? Perhaps it lasts longer or looks better. We need some advantage to explain the choice. The author gives us a reason: preserving the beauty of the crossing. But does the cable bridge actually look better than the concrete skyway? We haven't been told. Calling the existing bridge beautiful doesn't tell us which replacement will better preserve that beauty.
I'd also want to know how much more the cable bridge costs. Ten percent more for a much better-looking crossing could sound reasonable; a billion dollars instead of a million would raise a different concern. Those figures are hypothetical, but they show why “more expensive” leaves room for questions about the tradeoff.
What we’re looking for
The question asks for a required assumption, though, so focus on the missing link the stated reason depends on. If the cable bridge doesn't offer a better-looking result, the appeal to beauty gives us no reason to pay extra for it. That's what I want the answer to supply.
Working the answers
- A
Maintenance could cost more, and the author could still think the bridge's appearance justifies the extra expense. Nothing in the reasoning requires equal maintenance costs. The missing connection concerns the claimed benefit of choosing the cable bridge.
- B
The concrete skyway could have practical advantages. It might be cheaper to maintain, for example, while the author still prefers the cable bridge because of its appearance. A preference based on beauty doesn't require the preferred option to win on every practical measure.
- C
This is tempting because beauty clearly matters to the author. But saying that beauty is important enough to justify this choice is different from saying it must be preserved as an absolute requirement. The author can think a better-looking replacement is worth the added cost without treating preservation of the current crossing’s beauty as a separate obligation. E identifies the more direct dependency: this option must actually do better on the feature offered to justify it.
- D
The recommendation doesn't depend on winning a majority vote among viewers. The author could believe that the expenditure is justified even if most people disagree. What viewers will think is separate from whether the cable bridge offers the aesthetic advantage the argument relies on.
- ECorrect
The cable bridge must produce the better-looking result. Otherwise, beauty doesn't distinguish it favorably from the cheaper skyway. If the skyway were just as attractive, or more attractive, the stated reason wouldn't justify paying extra for the cable bridge.
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