lunarpower wrote:remember that ASSUMPTIONS must be ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

since this is true, there's a powerful test that you can use for correct assumptions:

if a CORRECT ASSUMPTION is NEGATED (i.e., if the opposite is assumed to be true), then the passage must become INVALID.

if you can reverse an "assumption" and the passage is still valid, then you've got the wrong assumption.

--

let's apply the above test to the choices listed here.

(a)
assume that demand WILL NOT increase in the future.
in this case, the company cannot "continue the financial trends", because one of those financial trends is "stimulating greater use of electricity within the area", and so the passage is invalidated.
therefore, this assumption is required.

(b)
assume that expenses WILL rise past the level that could be compensated for by efficiency or volume or both.
if this is the case, then the increases in volume and efficiency will cause expenses to rise past this point, and so the company will incur a loss, invalidating the passage.
therefore, this assumption is required.

(c)
assume that the plant WILL NOT contribute a net financial benefit.
if this is true, then the company won't continue to "gain greater profits", so the passage is invalidated.
therefore, this assumption is required.

(d)
assume that the safety measures WILL NOT be the same as those of the old plant.
this will have no effect whatsoever on anything described in the passage.
therefore, this is NOT a required assumption.

(e)
assume that there WILL be "insuperable technological obstacles to efficiency".
if this is the case, then efficiency won't increase, invalidating the passage.
therefore, this assumption is required.

ans = (d)