lheiannie07 wrote:Many winemakers use cork stoppers; but cork stoppers can leak, crumble, or become moldy, so that
those winemakers must often discard a significant proportion of their inventory of bottled wine.
Bottlemaster plastic stoppers, which cannot leak, crumble, or mold, have long been available to
winemakers, at a price slightly higher than that of traditional cork stoppers. Cork prices, however,
are expected to rise dramatically in the near future. Clearly, therefore, winemakers who still use
cork but wish to keep production costs from rising will be forced to reconsider plastic stoppers.
And since the wine-buying public's association of plastic stoppers with poor-quality wine is
weakening, there is an excellent chance that the Bottlemaster plastic stopper will gain an
increased share of the marked for wine-bottle stoppers.

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

A. The first is a judgment that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument
opposes; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
B. The first is a judgment that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument
opposes; the second is a conclusion drawn in order to support the main conclusion of the
argument.
C. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second provides evidence in support of
that main conclusion.
D. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a restatement of that main
conclusion.
E. The first is a conclusion drawn in order to support the main conclusion of the argument; the
second is that main conclusion.

Can some experts help me identify the best Option needed in the argument?

OA E

These are always more challenging without the bold Could you repost?

I believe . It's E .
Below is my reasoning .

Passage analysis .
Many winemakers use cork stoppers; but cork stoppers can leak, crumble, or become moldy, so that those winemakers must often discard a significant proportion of their inventory of bottled wine. Bottlemaster plastic stoppers, which cannot leak, crumble, or mold, have long been available to winemakers, at a price slightly higher than that of traditional cork stoppers.

--Both the above statement are observation or general background information.


Cork prices, however, are expected to rise dramatically in the near future.
---A prediction

Clearly, therefore, winemakers who still use cork but wish to keep production costs from rising will be forced to reconsider plastic stoppers.
---Another prediction or claim based on the reasoning stated in the previous statement .

And since the wine-buying public’s association of plastic stoppers with poor-quality wine is weakening, there is an excellent chance that the Bottlemaster plastic stopper will gain an increased share of the market for wine-bottle stoppers.

---One more prediction or claim based on the reasoning stated in the associated statement .


So basically we found that there are 2 claims in 2 bold face .

claim 1 : winemakers who still use cork but wish to keep production costs from rising will be forced to reconsider plastic stoppers.

claim 2 : there is an excellent chance that the Bottlemaster plastic stopper will gain an increased share of the market for wine-bottle stoppers.

So we need to quickly test whether because of claim 1, claim 2 is correct.


Because
winemakers who still use cork but wish to keep production costs from rising will be forced to reconsider plastic stoppers.
there is an excellent chance that the Bottlemaster plastic stopper will gain an increased share of the market for wine-bottle stoppers.

The above statement is making sense .

So claim 2 will be the main conclusion and claim 1 will be the intermediate conclusion .
and claim 1 supports claim 2 and both are in the same direction .

With this understanding . Lets go for POE.
In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?


(A) The first is a judgment that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.

Bold face 1 is incorrect since first one is not supporting what argument opposes
(B) The first is a judgment that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes; the second is a conclusion drawn in order to support the main conclusion of the argument.

Bold face 1 is incorrect since first one is not supporting what argument opposes

(C) The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second provides evidence in support of that main conclusion.

Bold face 1 is incorrect --since 1st BF is not the main conclusion . Also BF2 is incorrect since the second is the main conclusion

(D) The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a restatement of that main conclusion.

Bold face 1 is incorrect --since 1st BF is not the main conclusion . Also BF2 is incorrect since the second is the main conclusion

(E) The first is a conclusion drawn in order to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second is that main conclusion.

-- Yes correct . 1st one is used to support to main conclusion and 2nd one is the main conclusion .

Hence E is my answer .