Critical Reasoning

As a large corporation in a small country, Hachnut wants its managers to have
international experience, so each year it sponsors management education abroad for
its management trainees. Hachnut has found, however, that the attrition rate of
graduates from this program is very high, with many of them leaving Hachnut to join
competing firms soon after completing the program. Hachnut does use performance
during the program as a criterion in deciding among candidates for management positions,
but both this function and the goal of providing international experience could be
achieved in other ways. Therefore, if the attrition problem cannot be successfully
addressed, Hachnut should discontinue the sponsorship program.


In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?


A. The first describes a practice that the argument seeks to justify; the second states a
judgment that is used in support of a justification for that practice.
B. The first describes a practice that the argument seeks to explain; the second
presents part of the argument's explanation of that practice.
C. The first introduces a practice that the argument seeks to evaluate; the second
provides grounds for holding that the practice cannot achieve its objective.
D. The first introduces a policy that the argument seeks to evaluate; the second
provides grounds for holding that the policy is not needed.
E. The first introduces a consideration supporting a policy that the argument seeks to
evaluate; the second provides evidence for concluding that the policy should be
abandoned.