Critical Reasoning

Defense Department analysts worry that the ability of the United States to wage a prolonged war would be seriously endangered if the machine-tool manufacturing base shrinks further. Before the Defense Department publicly connected this security issue with the import quota issue, however, the machine-tool industry raised the national security issue in its petition for import quotas.

Which of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the machine-tool industry’s raising the issue above regarding national security?

A. When the aircraft industries retooled, they provided a large amount of work for too builders.

B. The Defense Department is only marginally concerned with the effects of foreign competition on the
machine-tool industry.

C. The machine-tool industry encountered difficulty in obtaining governmental protection against imports on
grounds other than defense.

D. A few weapons important for defense consist of parts that do not require extensive machining.

E. Several federal government programs have been designed which will enable domestic machine-tool
manufacturing firms to compete successfully with foreign toolmakers.

I have difficulty in comprehending this CR.Can somebody please explain this CR is simple terms ,as well as the answer.

is it C .. I will post my explanation later

IMO: B

Question:
Which of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the machine-tool industry’s raising the issue above regarding national security?

I believe contributes most is synonymous with strengthens.

That said;

(A) is out of scope

(B) is the best answer. If the Defense Department is marginally concerned (not really concerned at all) with the effects of foreign competition on the machine-tool industry, then it would be in the best interest of the machine-tool industry to limit its competition i.e., petition for import quotas (limit the number of imports).

(C) irrelevant

(D) is out of scope

(E) is out of scope

What is the OA?

I think its C.

@Banker1-->>Can u explain why C is irrelevant?
It is in a way strengthening the argument.

IMO: C

Option B is "marginally concerned" whereas we need the option that contributes most
If machine-tool industry encountered difficulty in obtaining governmental protection against imports then this impacts the Defense Dept too.

What's the OA?

IMO: C

James_83 wrote:I think its C.

@Banker1-->>Can u explain why C is irrelevant?
It is in a way strengthening the argument.

Rereading the question and answers I now agree C is the best answer. I rushed through this question the first time I read it and posted, I thought C was out of scope... apologies.

OA - C.

The question asks about an explanation of the inclusion of the national security issue in the industry's petition without the issue being public.

If we paraphrase, it could be that the industry got this information about the security issue from some information leak, maybe it happened by chance, or there was no other option with the manufacturing industry.

Option C supports this reasoning that there was no option with the manufacturing industry when it says "The machine-tool industry encountered difficulty in obtaining governmental protection against imports on grounds other than defense."

All the other options can be ruled out as irrelevant and out of scope.

i vote for C too, this one is convoluted.

I'm going with C. No confidence on my answer. Can anyone tell OA?