128. The public in the United States has in the past been conditioned to support a substantial defense budget by the threat of confrontation with the Eastern bloc. Now that that threat is dissolving, along with the Eastern bloc itself, it is doubtful whether the public can be persuaded to support an adequate defense budget.

Which one of the following indicates a weakness in the position expressed above?

(A) It presupposes that public opinion can be manipulated indefinitely, without the public’s becoming aware of that manipulation.

(B) It refers to past and present events that do not have a causal connection with public support of the budget.

(C) It assumes as fact what it seeks to establish by

(D) It fails to give any reason for the judgement it reaches.

(E) It hinges on the term “adequate”, the precise meaning of which requires reevaluation in the new context.

答案:E

A.        不关题意

B.         错误, causal connection文中有

C.         无

D.        错误, reason文中有

E.         因为在开始文中只提到a substantial defense budget , 而后面却说的是support an adequate defense budget. “adequate”在这里是一个概念很模糊的词,因为很多可以说成adequate,而很少也可以说成adequate, 这主要看被要求的情况.并且public有可能不支持很大数量的defense budget,却有可能支持很小数量的defense budget.