Solutions
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Question
Three large companies and seven small companies currently manufacture a product with potential military applications. If the government regulates the industry, it will institute a single set of manufacturing specifications to which all ten companies will have to adhere. In this case, therefore, since none of the seven small companies can afford to convert their production lines to a new set of manufacturing specifications, only the three large companies will be able to remain in business.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the author’s argument relies?
Option A:
None of the three large companies will go out of business if the government does not regulate the manufacture of the product.
Option B:
It would cost more to convert the production lines of the small companies to a new set of manufacturing specifications than it would to convert the production lines of the large companies.
Option C:
Industry lobbyists will be unable to dissuade the government from regulating the industry.
Option D:
Assembly of the product produced according to government manufacturing specifications would be more complex than current assembly procedures.
Option E:
None of the seven small companies currently manufactures the product to a set of specifications that would match those the government would institute if the industry were to be regulated
Difficulty Level
MediumSolution
Option E is the right answer.
Option Analysis
Question type: Find the assumption
Summary of the argument: The conclusion is that only the three big companies will survive because the small companies cannot revamp their manufacturing processes as per the regulations.
A) We don’t know what will happen if the regulation doesn’t happen.
B) The argument says that conversion is not possible at all. The argument doesn’t give information
about the cost.
C) We do not know whether people will be able to dissuade or not dissuade the government. That is not our point of concern.
D) We are not worried about how complex the assembly process will be.
E) Correct Answer
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