Questions 1-2 are based on the following.
We have heard a good deal in recent years about the declining importance of the two major political parties. It is the mass media, we are told, that decide the outcome of elections, not the power of the parties. But it is worth noting that no independent or third-party candidate has won any important election in recent years, and in the last nationwide campaign, the two major parties raised and spent more money than ever before in support of their candidates and platforms. It seems clear that reports of the imminent demise of the two-party system are premature at best.
1. Which of the following is an assumption made in the argument above?
(A) The amount of money raised and spent by a political party is one valid criterion for judging the influence of the party.
(B) A significant increase in the number of third-party candidates would be evidence of a decline in the importance of the two major parties.
(C) The two-party system has contributed significantly to the stability of the American political structure.
(D) The mass media tend to favor an independent or third-party candidate over a candidate from one of the two major parties.
(E) The mass media are relatively unimportant in deciding the outcome of most elections.

答案是A, 请问这道题的结论是什么，我怎么找不到呢？为什么选a呢？请高人指点，谢谢！

文章说 作者听说2党的重要性在下降,然后说媒体只能决定竞选时他们的支出而不能决定他们的影响.但是没有其他党派获得竞选胜利没什么意义.在最后的宣传中, 2党都用了比以前多的钱.这些最能说明了即将过度的2党制不成熟. a是架桥... 文中缺少钱和结论的联接., 因此选a

前提：the two major parties raised and spent more money than ever before in support of their candidates and platforms.

结论：reports of the imminent demise of the two-party system are premature at best.

A fills the gap.