Critical Reasoning

The Minister of Health of City X, acting on the basis of an alarming rise in lung cancer diagnoses, demanded that tobacco companies offer more low-nicotine, low-tar cigarettes by next year. However, because most smokers perceive such cigarettes to be less satisfying than regular cigarettes, smokers who use such cigarettes compensate by smoking more of them per day. The result is that the typical smoker is exposed to an equivalent amount of tar and nicotine even with low-nicotine, low-tar cigarettes.

The information above most strongly supports which of the following predictions about the effects of implementing the minister's plan?

A. The lung cancer rate in City X is likely to go down in the future.
B. A greater percentage of smokers in City X will attempt to quit smoking next year.
C. The number of heavy smokers in City X will likely go down next year.
D. Casual smokers will begin to smoke a more significant number of cigarettes by next year.
E. The average smoker will probably not see a reduction in his or her exposure to nicotine and tar next year.

IMO - E seems pretty clear choice.

coderversion1 wrote:The Minister of Health of City X, acting on the basis of an alarming rise in lung cancer diagnoses, demanded that tobacco companies offer more low-nicotine, low-tar cigarettes by next year. However, because most smokers perceive such cigarettes to be less satisfying than regular cigarettes, smokers who use such cigarettes compensate by smoking more of them per day. The result is that the typical smoker is exposed to an equivalent amount of tar and nicotine even with low-nicotine, low-tar cigarettes.

The information above most strongly supports which of the following predictions about the effects of implementing the minister's plan?

A. The lung cancer rate in City X is likely to go down in the future.
B. A greater percentage of smokers in City X will attempt to quit smoking next year.
C. The number of heavy smokers in City X will likely go down next year.
D. Casual smokers will begin to smoke a more significant number of cigarettes by next year.
E. The average smoker will probably not see a reduction in his or her exposure to nicotine and tar next year.

IMO - E seems pretty clear choice.

E

IMO E
D is wrong. It just talks about casual smokers.