GWD-16-11

Q11:

In general, jobs are harder to get in times of economic recession because many businesses cut back operations.  However, any future recessions in Vargonia will probably not reduce the availability of teaching jobs at government-funded schools.  This is because Vargonia has just introduced a legal requirement that education in government-funded schools be available, free of charge, to all Vargonian children regardless of the state of the economy, and that current student-teacher ratios not be exceeded.

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

1. The current student-teacher ratio at Vargonia’s government-funded schools is higher than it was during the most recent period of economic recession.
2. During recent periods when the Vargonian economy has been strong, almost 25 percent of Vargonian children have attended privately funded schools, many of which charge substantial fees.
3. Nearly 20 percent more teachers are currently employed in Vargonia’s government-funded schools than had been employed in those schools in the period before the last economic recession.
4. Teachers in Vargonia’s government-funded schools are well paid relative to teachers in most privately funded schools in Vargonia, many of which rely heavily on part-time teachers.
5. During the last economic recession in Vargonia, the government permanently closed a number of the schools that it had funded.

为什么答案是B呢

文章的结论是经济的萧条不太可能减低vargonia公立学校的教师职业的活跃度，基于两个前提：

       a：不管经济状况如何，vargonia小孩上公立学校都是免费的

              b：学生/教师的比例不会增加

b选项的意思是在最近经济好的时候大约有25%的学生去上要交钱的私立学校，可以理解为在经济不好的时候这部分学生中会有人去公立学校（因为免费），而学生/教师的比例不会增加，也就是说学生增加的同时教师也要相应的增加，以求学生/教师的比例不会增加。这样教师职业的活跃度显然加强，文章的结论显然也得到了加强。