Critical Reasoning

Although the price of gasoline can sometimes reach uncomfortable highs, the true price of gas is not reflected in the price paid at the pump. Oil companies receive billions of dollars in tax credits and subsidies from the government. In addition, taxes pay for the maintenance of roads and highways, which the oil companies rely on to create a market for their product. Therefore, drivers of small, high-mileage vehicles are subsidizing the gas purchases of drivers of gas-inefficient vehicles.

Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in order to evaluate the argument?
(A) Whether other segments of the population, such as pedestrians or bicyclists, derive benefits from road and highway maintenance
(B) Whether, on average, drivers of high-mileage vehicles of drivers of gas-inefficient vehicles spend more per month on gas
(C) Whether oil companies earn a substantial proportion of their profits from automobile gasoline sales
(D) Whether the benefits of road and highway maintenance accrue disproportionately to drivers of gas-inefficient vehicles
(E) Whether tax credits to oil companies and road maintenance are the only way the government affects the price of gas


Please explain

IMO - B OA - D

Answer B is connected with the topic but not strongly enough. The sum spent by drivers on fuel is related not only to the amount of gas their vehicles use but also to the number of miles.

confuse mind wrote:Although the price of gasoline can sometimes reach uncomfortable highs, the true price of gas is not reflected in the price paid at the pump. Oil companies receive billions of dollars in tax credits and subsidies from the government. In addition, taxes pay for the maintenance of roads and highways, which the oil companies rely on to create a market for their product. Therefore, drivers of small, high-mileage vehicles are subsidizing the gas purchases of drivers of gas-inefficient vehicles.

Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in order to evaluate the argument?
(A) Whether other segments of the population, such as pedestrians or bicyclists, derive benefits from road and highway maintenance
(B) Whether, on average, drivers of high-mileage vehicles of drivers of gas-inefficient vehicles spend more per month on gas
(C) Whether oil companies earn a substantial proportion of their profits from automobile gasoline sales
(D) Whether the benefits of road and highway maintenance accrue disproportionately to drivers of gas-inefficient vehicles
(E) Whether tax credits to oil companies and road maintenance are the only way the government affects the price of gas


Please explain

IMO - B OA - D

Here, the main arg starts after 'In addition'. We can very well forget the part before it.

Prephrasing the arg: Since we all pay taxes to maintain roads and highways, high mileage cars are paying more for gas than low mileage cars.

Solution: This can only be true if we know by some means that high mileage cars are benefitting more from the roads and the highways than low mileage cars.

If this does not help, let me know. I wil try to break this into even simpler form.

what does option B tries to say,.,.

(B) Whether, on average, drivers of high-mileage vehicles of drivers of gas-inefficient vehicles spend more per month on gas