Critical Reasoning

Last year a record number of new manufacturing jobs were created. Will this year bring another record? Well, any new manufacturing job is created either within an existing company or by the start-up of a new company. Within existing firms, new jobs have been created this year at well below last year’s record pace. At the same time, there is considerable evidence that the number of new companies starting up this year will be no higher than it was last year and there is no reason to think that the new companies starting up this year will create more jobs per company than did last year’s start-ups. So clearly, the number of new jobs created this year will fall short of last year’s record.
In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the followingroles?

A. The first provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a claim that argument challenges.
B. The first is a generalization that the argument seeks to establish; the second is a conclusion that the argument draws in order to support that generalization.
C. The first is a generalization that the argument seeks to establish; the second is a judgment that has been advanced in order to challenge that generalization.
D. The first is presented as obvious truth on which the argument is based; the second is a claim that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes.
E. The first is presented as obvious truth on which the argument is based; the second is a judgment advanced in support of the main conclusion of the argument.

[spoiler]OA-E
IMO-D[/spoiler]

Please provide proper reasoning.One word answers are a complete turn-off for me.

Thanks

E for me.

OBVIOUSLY E

The issue with D comes with the the claim that the second statement is a claim that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes.

Well first, what position does the argument take? The argument claims that, "the number of new jobs created this year will fall short of last year’s record." So choice D states that the boldfaced portion actually COUNTERACTS this claim (advanced in support of an opposing position to the argument).

The clue here is the "So clearly," which lets us know that the author is using the preceding information to SUPPORT his argument, not to add fuel to its opposition.

E it is..coz both the bold faced are kind of supports to the main conclusion..

myohmy wrote:The issue with D comes with the the claim that the second statement is a claim that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes.

Well first, what position does the argument take? The argument claims that, "the number of new jobs created this year will fall short of last year’s record." So choice D states that the boldfaced portion actually COUNTERACTS this claim (advanced in support of an opposing position to the argument).

The clue here is the "So clearly," which lets us know that the author is using the preceding information to SUPPORT his argument, not to add fuel to its opposition.

Thanks a lot myohmy....now I feel you really deserve 760....

Hats off to you!

Nice explanation.