PrepTest 149, Section 3, Question 22
The temperature in Taychester is always at least(31 more words not shown)
Each of the following, if(10 more words not shown)
- AHeat loss due(9 more words not shown)
- BAlthough Charlesville is(13 more words not shown)
- CUtility rates in(8 more words not shown)
- DPeople who are(21 more words not shown)
- EHouses in colder(10 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why are people in the warmer town paying more to heat their homes?
Taychester is always colder. Charlesville is warmer but has the higher heating bills. Temperature alone would make us expect the opposite, so I'd look for another difference: perhaps Charlesville residents have bigger houses, or perhaps their heating fuel costs more.
What we’re looking for
This is an EXCEPT question. Four answers help explain the higher Charlesville expense; we're choosing the one that leaves that comparison unexplained.
Working the answers
- A
More heat loss from wind in Charlesville could make its homes harder to keep warm, despite the higher outdoor temperature. Residents could have to replace more escaping heat. That gives us a reason for higher heating expenses in the warmer town, so A helps resolve the puzzle.
- BCorrect
A steep nighttime drop explains why Charlesville might need heating at night. But Taychester is always at least ten degrees colder, including at night. Charlesville's drop doesn't make it the colder town or otherwise explain why its residents spend more than Taychester's. B gives us a reason to heat Charlesville homes, not the missing explanation for the higher comparative cost.
- C
This matches the fuel-price idea. If residents in colder Taychester pay a lower utility rate, they could use more heating energy yet spend less. Charlesville residents could need less heat but pay more for each unit. Cost depends on the rate as well as the amount used.
- D
Charlesville residents are accustomed to warmer temperatures, so this suggests they set their homes' temperatures higher. Taychester residents may be comfortable with cooler rooms. Different indoor targets can help explain the bills even though the outdoor temperatures favor Charlesville.
- E
Better insulation helps colder-climate Taychester homes retain heat. Less well-insulated Charlesville homes could lose more of the heat residents pay for. That difference can help explain why living in the colder town doesn't necessarily produce the higher bill.
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