1. Which of the following most logically completes the argument below?
Last year in Arland, fewer than 19 percent of those homeowners who were eligible took advantage of a government program offering low-cost subsidized flood insurance to people living in flood-prone areas. The primary reason for this low rate of participation is that most eligible homeowners do not consider purchasing flood insurance until they themselves have suffered flood-related property losses. An increase in the rate of participation can therefore be expected, because __________.
(A) the price of private flood insurance is unlikely to decrease in the near future
(B) severe storms over the last year have led to unusually widespread flooding
(C) the reason the subsidized flood insurance is so affordable is that the cost of the subsidies is borne by all taxpayers, not just those living in flood-prone areas
(D) many people erroneously assume that disaster-relief agencies provide reimbursement to uninsured property owners for flood-related property losses
(E) most people, including those living in the most flood-prone areas, seriously underestimate the risk of their property sustaining damage from flooding
2. Beets and carrots are higher in sugar than many other vegetables. They are also high on the glycemic index, a scale that measures the rate at which a food increases blood sugar levels. But while nutritionists usually advise people to avoid high-sugar and high-glycemic-index foods, despite any nutritional benefits they may confer, they are not very concerned about the consumption of beets and carrots.
Which of the following, if true, would best explain the nutritionists’ lack of concern?
A. Foods with added sugar are much higher in sugar, and have a larger effect on blood sugar levels, than do beets and carrots.
B. Most consumption of beets and carrots occurs in combination with higher-protein foods, which reduce blood sugar fluctuations.
C. Beets and carrots contain many nutrients, such as folate, beta-carotene, and vitamin C, of which many people fail to consume optimal quantities.
D. The glycemic index measures the extent to which a food increases blood sugar levels as compared to white bread, a food that is much less healthy than beets and carrots.
E. Nutritionists have only recently come to understand that a food’s effect on blood sugar levels is an important determinant of that food’s impact on a person’s health.