State researchers have found that

Answer choices

1. A

   Strengthens15% picked this

   Sales of portable heaters rose as families concentrated their winter activities in a limited

   This increases the plausibility that people changed the way they spend their time. Rather than trying to heat the whole house, they decide to congregate in fewer rooms (this is also a reduced standard of living), so that they can just heat those rooms with portable heaters.

   15%
2. B

   Strengthens4% picked this

   During the winter months, more people frequented public places such as libraries and community centers and, on the average, spent considerably longer periods

   This increases the plausibility that people changed the way they spend their time. Rather than trying to heat their house and make it cozy, they increasingly spent their time in libraries, community centers, and other public places. By staying cozy in those warm public places, people didn't need to consume as much home energy keeping their house warm.

   4%
3. C

   Correct70% picked this

   More than 39 percent of households were able to decrease energy costs substantially by having relatively inexpensive work done to improve the

   Why this is right

   This weakens by providing an Alternate Explanation for why home energy use declined. It wasn't that people reduced their standard of living or changed how they spent time. It was because a large proportion of people improved the efficiency of their existing heating systems, so the heating systems consumed less energy to keep them equally warm.

   Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   70%
4. D

   Strengthens4% picked this

   At least 59 percent of households maintained a lower indoor temperature than they had been accustomed to maintain

   This increases the plausibility that people accepted a lower standard of living. They consumed less home energy by getting used to a colder indoor temperature. They didn't run their heaters as long / as strong.

   4%
5. E

   Strengthens7% picked this

   Members of at least 60 percent of households showered for shorter periods of time than

   This increases the plausibility that people accepted a lower standard of living. They consumed less home energy by getting used to shorter showers, which means they didn't run their water heaters as long.

   7%