Critical Reasoning

To improve the town's overcrowded school system, the town council has proposed an ambitious education plan to reduce classroom size and make capital improvements - a plan they intend to pay for with an increase in property taxes for homes valued over $ 500,000. Although the school system desperately needs improving, the town council's plan should be defeated because the majority of the people who would end up paying for the improvements receive no benefit from them.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument above?

A) The town's school system is currently ranked among the worst in the state

B) Other towns nearby that have made similar capital improvements did not find that the improvements translated to a better quality of education.

C) The town will need to spend additional money on architect's plan for the capital improvements.

D) An examination of the tax rolls shows that most home owners in this catagory no longer have school-age children.

E) Some homeowners will delay home improvement projects in order to keep the value of their homes below $500,000.

--> Which of the following, if true, provides the town council with the stongest counter to the objection that its plan is unfair?

a) Even with the proposed increase, property taxes in the town are well below the national average.

b) Paying for the school system improvements using existing town funds will result in shortfalls that will force the town into arrears.

c) The teachers in the town's school system receive some of the lowest salary packages in immediate area, which is a major cause of attrition.

d)) Smaller class sizes and capital improvements in a school system tend to increase property values in the surrounding community.

E) A feasibility study has shown that the cost of the improvements will likely be 20% higher than projected.

Initially I thought that B was the answer, but nowhere does it say that the capital investments intended for better education unless you consider "improvements"; so IMO D; since it directly supports the conclusion by stating that the 500k income families will not have any benefit to the taxes (the argument)........

For the second question, IMO D since the arguments says there will be no benefit to the taxed households; clearly a rise in property values is a tradeoff that could be countered to the author's original argument.....

OA please....

snehit wrote:To improve the town's overcrowded school system, the town council has proposed an ambitious education plan to reduce classroom size and make capital improvements - a plan they intend to pay for with an increase in property taxes for homes valued over $ 500,000. Although the school system desperately needs improving, the town council's plan should be defeated because the majority of the people who would end up paying for the improvements receive no benefit from them.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument above?

A) The town's school system is currently ranked among the worst in the state

B) Other towns nearby that have made similar capital improvements did not find that the improvements translated to a better quality of education.

C) The town will need to spend additional money on architect's plan for the capital improvements.

D) An examination of the tax rolls shows that most home owners in this catagory no longer have school-age children.

E) Some homeowners will delay home improvement projects in order to keep the value of their homes below $500,000.

--> Which of the following, if true, provides the town council with the stongest counter to the objection that its plan is unfair?

a) Even with the proposed increase, property taxes in the town are well below the national average.

b) Paying for the school system improvements using existing town funds will result in shortfalls that will force the town into arrears.

c) The teachers in the town's school system receive some of the lowest salary packages in immediate area, which is a major cause of attrition.

d)) Smaller class sizes and capital improvements in a school system tend to increase property values in the surrounding community.

E) A feasibility study has shown that the cost of the improvements will likely be 20% higher than projected.

For Q-1
IMO is D since passage concludes that Homeowners do not benefit from the taxes. Option D supports the same.

For Q-2
IMO D
I chose this on the basis that it negates the conclusion that homeowners did not receive any benefit due to the tax increase. I was also considering option A but I think D negates the effect while A is more like an excuse by the state.

Please let us know the OA .

1st Question :- D)
2nd Question:- D)

The explanations above are good.

OA is

D for both question

Qs 1. D is correct. D & E were close choices. So, used assumption negation technique to choose D . (negating assumption and seeing whether it undermines the conclusion)
Qs 2: Was stuck between A and D. Both seem probable. Will go with amazonviper's logic. However in D we are assuming that increased property prices are benefiting the property tax payers.

Any views why D and not A are welcome.

Good qs !!!

Thnx
Turbo Jet

q1 - D
q2 - A

D for both questions.

The tricky part in the 2nd question is the question stem.
Double negative making it positive

For the first one D, but i'm confuced about second one