OG12-CR-74

　　In the past the country of Malvernia has relied heavily on imported oil. Malvernia recently implemented a program to convert heating systems from oil to natural gas. Malvernia currently produces more natural gas each year than it uses, and oil production in Malvernian oil fields is increasing at a steady pace. If these trends in fuel production and usage continue, therefore, Malvernian reliance on foreign sources for fuel is likely to decline soon.

　　Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in evaluating the argument?

　　首先看题：

　　(1)过去的时候M国非常依赖进口石油，但是M国最近实施了一个program就是将供热系统从使用石油转换成使用天然气

　　(2)M国的天然气资源供大于求，而石油产量也在稳步上升

　　结论：如果M国能源产量持续这个趋势的话，那么M国对进口燃料的依赖将会下降。

　　(A) When, if ever, will production of oil in Malvernia outstrip production of natural gas?

　　本选项说的是什麼時候M国的石油产量会超过天然气产量，题目的中心论点是M国对进口燃料的依赖是否会下降，所以说要比也不是石油和天然气产量比，因此无关。

　　(B) Is Malvernia among the countries that rely most on imported oil?

　　本选项说M国是否是所有的国家中最依赖进口石油的?题目中并没有提到其他国家，故和A选项一样，这个选项也属于错误对比。

　　(C) What proportion of Malvernia's total energy needs is met by hydroelectric, solar, and nuclear power?

　　本选项说氢电、太阳能和核能在M国的能源使用中占多大的比例?此选项同B。因为题目中并没有提到除了石油和天然气之外的其他的能源，所以也是错误对比的无关选项。

　　(D) Is the amount of oil used each year in Malvernia for generating electricity and fuel for transportation increasing?

　　正解。本选项说M国用于交通方面和发电方面的石油是否增加?这个选项可以说是填补了题目的一个gap，因为就算M国供热系统需要的石油减少但是用于其他方面的石油量上升的话，那么还是要依赖进口的。如果将这个问题变成陈述的话，即：M国用于交通方面和发电方面的石油需求量上升，那么是会削弱结论的。

　　(E) Have any existing oil-burning heating systems in Malvernia already been converted to natural-gas-burning heating systems?

　　本选项说：M国是否已经有烧石油的供暖系统转换成天然气系统了?这个选项虽然相关，但是题目已经说了这个系统迟早会转换成天然气，所以这个选项不具备evaluate的资格。

　　练习：

　　TN-5-Q38:

　　Journalist: Well-known businessman Arnold Bergeron has long been popular in the state, and he has often talked about running for governor, but he has never run. However, we have just learned that Bergeron has fulfilled the financial disclosure requirement for candidacy by submitting a detailed list of his current financial holdings to the election commission. So, it is very likely that Bergeron will be a candidate for governor this year.

　　The answer to which of the following questions would be most useful in evaluating the journalist’s argument?

　　A. Has anybody else who has fulfilled the financial disclosure requirement for the upcoming election reported greater financial holdings than Bergeron?

　　B. Is submitting a list of holdings the only way to fulfill the election commission’s financial disclosure requirements?

　　C. Did the information recently obtained by the journalists come directly from the election commission?

　　D. Have Bergeron’s financial holdings increased in value in recent years?

　　E. Had Bergeron also fulfilled the financial disclosure requirements for candidacy before any previous gubernatorial elections?

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　　TN-11-Q3.

　　Scientists have made genetic modifications to cotton to increase its resistance to insect pests. According to farmers’ report, the amount of insecticide needed per acre to control insect pests was only slightly lower for those who tried the modified seed than for those who did not. Therefore, since the modified seed costs more than ordinary seed without producing yields of higher market value, switching to the modified seed would be unlikely to benefit most cotton farmers economically.

　　Which of the following would it be most useful to know in order to evaluate the argument?

　　A. Whether farmers who tried the modified cotton seed had ever tried growing other crops from genetically modified seed.

　　B. Whether the insecticides typically used on ordinary cotton tend to be more expensive than insecticides typically used on other crops.

　　C. Whether for most farms who grow cotton it is their primary crop

　　D. Whether the farmers who have tried the modified seed planted as many acres of cotton, on average, as farmers using the ordinary seed did.

　　E. Whether most of the farmers who tried the modified seed did so because they had previously had to use exceptionally large quantities of insecticide.