PrepTest 141, Section 2, Question 11
Municipal legislator: The mayor proposes that the city(75 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(11 more words not shown)
- ASome people's fear(15 more words not shown)
- BThe mayor's proposal(11 more words not shown)
- CIt is not(19 more words not shown)
- DThe city's competitive-bidding(9 more words not shown)
- EThe lighting company's(18 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Free streetlights sound useful. What's the catch?
A company could offer something for a reason we dislike. Imagine lights equipped with cameras that let the company watch the city. That would give us a separate concern. Here, though, the concern actually raised is that the gift might influence the city's future park-lighting contracts.
The legislator offers two responses. First, perhaps the company simply wants visiting mayors to see its products. Giving out a sample to attract customers doesn't seem inherently objectionable. Second, even if favoritism is the goal, the city's competitive-bidding procedure supposedly prevents it. That second response doesn't require us to settle the company's true motive.
What we’re looking for
We're asked for the main conclusion. Both responses defend accepting the gift: “There would be no problem in accepting these.” The gift itself is the situation under discussion; the advertising explanation and bidding procedure are reasons not to regard acceptance as a problem.
Working the answers
- A
The legislator doesn't need to establish that the company has no wish to influence the city's decision. The final point is that competitive bidding prevents favoritism in any case. A claim about what the company wants is different from the overall claim that accepting the lights is not a problem.
- BCorrect
This restates the judgment the rest of the argument supports: the mayor's proposal to accept the lights should not be considered problematic. The possible advertising motive and the bidding safeguard explain why the legislator thinks acceptance is fine.
- C
The legislator doesn't condemn giving this company a chance to display its products. Nor are we told that it has a unique opportunity unavailable to every other company. The advertising motive is offered as a reason not to worry about the gift, not as an inappropriate privilege.
- D
This is the final supporting reason, not the main conclusion. Ask what the bidding procedure is supposed to establish. It prevents favoritism, so accepting the gift shouldn't cause the feared contracting problem. The sentence supports the broader judgment about acceptance.
- E
The legislator identifies displaying the products as the only ulterior motive they can find. Even if we treated that as a confident statement of the real motive, it would still be support for accepting the gift, not the main conclusion. E leaves out the judgment the discussion is meant to defend.
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