In the past, the railroads in Ostronia

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong16% picked this

   If the government of Ostronia ceases to subsidize railroad companies, few of those companies will

   Too Strong: few Too Speculative: if no subsidies We can't say that it must be true that pulling away subsidies would cause most railroad companies to cease operating. We were never told that most railroads depended on these subsidies for continued operation, only that railroad companies have been able to operate even while incurring substantial losses because of the subsidies. If the subsidies were yanked, then the railroad companies might just have to improve their business model to compete better with long-distance trucking and stop incurring huge losses.

   16%
2. B

   Too Strong: few10% picked this

   Few companies in Ostronia that have received subsidies from the government have taken the needs and desires of

   We only know that the railroad companies have both received subsidies and not taken the needs and desires of customers into account. This answer is saying that's true of most companies in O that have received subsidies. But we don't know how any other companies that have received subsidies have behaved in relation to customers.

   10%
3. C

   Out of Scope3% picked this

   Without government subsidies, railroad companies in Ostronia would have to increase the prices they

   Out of Scope: increase prices Speculation: without subsidies We were only told what was true with subsidies in place. Predicting an alternate universe without subsidies is something we'd consider on Most Supported, but it's hard to say that any predictions about what would happen in an alternate universe Must Be True. It's possible that without subsidies, the railroads wouldn't have to raise prices to stop their terrible losses; they could just improve their customer service by regarding their customers' needs and desires.

   3%
4. D

   Out of Scope: efficient4% picked this

   The transportation system in Ostronia is no more efficient today than in was

   We don't have any means to judge a comparison between the overall efficiency of the transportation system in the past vs. that of today.

   4%
5. E

   Correct66% picked this

   In recent years, some companies in Ostronia that have had little regard for the desires of their

   Why this is right

   This just combines two things we know to be true about O's railroad companies: 1. like in the past, they have little regard for the desires and needs of their customers 2. they have nonetheless survived (they have continued to operate even while incurring substantial losses) Since "some" just means "at least one", we can say that there must be at least one company in Ostronia that has both qualities 1 and 2.

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

   66%