Three large companies and seven small companies currently manufacture a product with potential military applications.If the government regulates the industry, it will institute a single set of manufacturing specifications to which all ten companies will have to adhere.In this case, therefore, since none of the seven small companies can afford to convert their production lines to a new set of manufacturing specifications, only the three large companies will be able to remain in business.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the author’s argument relies?
A.None of the three large companies will go out of business if the government does not regulate the manufacture of the product.
B.It would cost more to convert the production lines of the large companies to a new set of manufacturing specifications than it would to convert the production lines of the small companies.
C.Industry lobbyists will be unable to dissuade the government from regulating the industry.
D.Assembly of the product produced according to government manufacturing specifications would be simpler than current assembly procedures.
E.None of the seven small companies currently manufactures the product to a set of specifications that would match those the government would institute if the industry were to be regulated.（我的答案） 我不知道这个题的答案到底是什么 NN们 帮我看一下 到底选什么 我感觉A也有点沾边
作者: sdcar2010 时间: 2011-4-12 10:06
E is right.
What the small companies could not afford is the cost of converting their production lines to a new set of manufacturing specifications. It has nothing to do with what their current manufacturing specifications are. Before the announcement of the final manufacturing specifications, no one knows for sure if the current specifications used by the small companies meet the standard.
From the stimulus, the author PRESUMED that the small companies have to convert their production line in order to meet the new manufacturing specification. That's why the author concluded that only the big companies can survive. What if the small companies have already met the new manufacture specification with their current production line? This will obliviate the need for such costly conversion for the small companies.