A certain city has had many vacant homes in the downtown neighborhoods. The city loses significant tax revenue each year because those houses stand unoccupied. The city felt that the fear of crime was keeping professionals from moving into these houses. Over 80% of the city's professional work force live outside of the city, in nearby suburbs, and commute daily. Plan: Five years ago, the city tripled the size of the municipal police force, increasing patrols throughout the city. All studies have confirmed that crime has dropped substantially. Result: the vacancy rate in these single-family houses has not changed substantially in five years. Further information: Almost all of the vacant houses are in excellent condition, ready for occupancy. The city supports a number of high-paying professional jobs, and the state economy has been booming over the past five years. In light of the further information, which of the following, if true, does most to explain the result that followed the implementation of the plan?

Power Plant Spokesperson: "The water quality of the Phage River as it passes through Praseopolis is below federal standards. The citizens of Praseopolis often blame the poor water quality on our coal-burning power plant, which is upstream from Praseopolis. But Vulcan Refinery, along a tributary of the Phage River even further upstream, releases several toxins into the water. Moreover, over 99% of the toxic materials measured in the Phage River in the vicinity of Praseopolis are consistent with metal refining, but not with the by-products of coal combustion." In the power plant spokesperson's argument, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles?

A coffee manufacturer wants more restaurant chains to serve its brands of coffee. The manufacturer is considering a plan to offer its coffee to large chains at a significantly lower price, at least for a certain period. This lower price initially will reduce the manufacturer's profits, but they hope to get into enough nationwide restaurant chains that their volume increases significantly. Once they have a much higher volume, even a small increase in their price would have an enormous effect on their profits.In evaluating the plan's chances of success, it would be most helpful to know which of the following?

Prof. Hernandez's monumental work The History of Central America covers everything about the region from the origin of the Mesoamerican period to the end of the Cold War. While the book has several informative maps and charts, many of the chapters spend less time describing facts and more time explaining Prof. Hernandez's theories. Indeed, the last two chapters consist exclusively of his exposition of theory of the role of Central America in post WWII world politics. Therefore, properly speaking, this book is not a history book. Which of the following is an assumption that supports drawing the conclusion above from the reasons given for that conclusion?

Government official: Currently many business travelers rely on a one-hour flight between the cities, but complain about congestion and delays at the airport. The new high-speed railway between Hamport and Dudley, Aplandia's two major financial hubs, will be able to make the same trip in slightly less than three hours. Given this option, many who fly between the two cities during the week will choose the railway, since it will allow them to travel between the city centers in less time than a flight with the expected delays plus the commute to and from airports would take. Which of the following, if true, would most cast doubt on his proposal above?

In a certain state, over 80% of the land is comprised of farms, but historically, large farm machinery has not sold well in this state. The percentage of land devoted to farms is not expected to increase. In fact, the number of farms in the state has been slowly declining over the past decade. A new manufacturer of large farm equipment is building a factory in the middle of this state, and the manufacturer's plans for success depend on strong in-state sales of their product. Both the manufacturer and the industry analysts are expecting this manufacturer to be quite successful over the next few years.Which of the following, if true, most helps to provide a justification for the manufacturer's and the industry analysts' optimistic expectations?

In August, the Williamstown main city parking garage was completely full every single day of the month. This phenomenon indicates that the main city parking garage in Williamstown is a popular place for parking. herefore, the Williamstown parking garage will be full every day of the month for September. Which of the following, if true, cast the most doubt on the conclusion above?

Electronic Wizard has invented a very compact hand-held extremely powerful electric vacuum pump, primarily for applications in computer manufacturing. They also plan to make a version with a filter for cleaning surfaces, and market this as a cleaning device to homeowners. This hand-held electric vacuum pump will only be able to clean small areas, so homeowners would still need to own a conventional vacuum cleaner.Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for a prediction that homeowners will buy the hand-held electric vacuum pump cleaner?

The Yorgorian people, many of whom still live in the jungle in traditional conditions, eat many meats of jungle mammals, resulting in a cuisine that is high in the protein RX7G, much higher than the cuisine of the industrial nation of Transpraxia. Medical research has shown a high correlation between the protein RX7G and coronary heart disease, and yet, the Yorgorian people have a much lower incidence of such disease than found in Transpraxia. Medical researchers have dubbed this the Yorgorian Paradox. Which of the following, if true, helps to explain the Yorgorian Paradox?

According to futuristic writings in the 1960s, robots would soon drastically reduce crime. With night vision and ability to detect the chemicals involved in ballistics, such robots could be programed to paralyze anyone roaming the street at night with a gun: virtually all criminals fit that description. These criminals would be incapacitated and thus unable to resist an easy arrest.Which of the following, if true, most strongly indicates that the logic of the prediction is flawed?

A large apartment building in a city was assessed by a city environmental bureau for the comparatively high consumption of electricity in the building, and the landlord was threatened with a possible fine if the consumption did not drop significantly in a specified period. While all built-in appliances and lighting in common areas are energy efficient, the landlord found, upon doing an inspection, many residents were using older portable heaters that are not very energy efficient. The landlord decided to send each resident a detailed letter about the electric energy consumption of these older portable heaters, recommending newer more energy efficient models that could be purchased at local stores. He hopes the letter will motivate enough residents to buy more energy efficient heaters. Which of the following, if true, would provide most support for the prediction that the landlord's letter will have its intended effect?

India ranks fifth in the world production of coffee. Popular thought has long associated India with tea and especially with masala chai, but clearly, we need to recognize India as one of the great coffee-drinking nations as well. This argument is flawed primarily because the author

While antibiotics have done inestimable good to humankind over the last seventy years, there are several drawbacks to using antibiotics that, until recently, have been overlooked. The human microbiome, which consists of the trillions of bacteria that reside in each person's body, is essential to good health. Specifically, the body contains and requires both "good" and "bad" bacteria. It is when the proper equilibrium between the "good" bacteria and the "bad" bacteria is disrupted that a number of health issues can emerge. Nonetheless, antibiotics indiscriminately kill both the "good" and the "bad" bacteria, so each course of antibiotics should be followed by a treatment that ___________________________________. Which of the following most logically completes the argument above?

In 1995, ecologists started to reintroduce the wolf into Yellowstone Park, where the wolf had been eliminated intentionally half a century earlier. Rangers expected a rise in the number of wolf would place limits on the elk population and on the populations of many mid-size mammals. One unexpected consequence was a dramatic rise in the population of foxes, which in turn helped to control many rodent populations. Which of the following, if true, most helps explain the dramatic rise in the fox population?

Phytonutrients, found in fresh fruits and vegetables, have beneficial effects on the human cardiovascular system. Because heart disease is a major health concern, American doctors should encourage all people, especially those with heart disease, to eat a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables.Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument above?