In response to mounting pubic concern, an airplane manufacturer implemented a program with the well-publicized goal of reducing by half the total yearly amount of hazardous waste generated by its passenger-jet division. When the program began in 1994, the division's hazardous waste output was 90 pounds per production worker; last year it was 40 pounds per production worker. Clearly, therefore, charges that the manufacturer's program has not met its goal are false.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
In response to mounting public concern, an airplane manufacturer implemented a program with the well-publicized goal of reducing by half the total yearly amount of hazardous waste generated by its passenger-jet division.
When the program began in 1994, the division's hazardous waste output was 90 pounds per production worker; last year it was 40 pounds per production worker.
Clearly, therefore, charges that the manufacturer's program has not met its goal are false.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
A. The amount of nonhazardous waste generated each year by the passenger-jet division has not increased significantly since 1994.
B. At least as many passenger jets were produced by the division last year as had been produced in 1994.
C. Since 1994, other divisions in the company have achieved reductions in hazardous waste output that are at least equal to that achieved in the passenger-jet division.
D. The average number of weekly hours per production worker in the passenger-jet division was not significantly greater last year than it was in 1994.
E. The number of production workers assigned to the passenger-jet division was not significantly less in 1994 than it was last year.
这道题有点tricky的,有点像是bible里面的题目。 B选项是一个很诱人的选项,你要理解 90 pounds per production worker是什么意思。就是说目标是把今年的污染排放总额降到去年的一半,有人说没做到,但是 waste generated now is 40 pounds per production worker,而原来是90。原文的计算单位是这么来的:每个制造员工所产生的waste,而不是造出来的每个飞机所产生的waste。所以,如果公司的员工数量没变,平均每人90到每人40,则就把总waste降一半了。 所以并不需要考虑造的飞机和去年比是多还是少,因为waste不是按每辆飞机多少来算的,是按人算的。 所以答案就是E,如果员工的数量变了,那么总值=员工数量*均值 均值和员工数量都变了,总值就会变了,你说是吗?
怎么会呢? 我用一个数学逻辑告诉你吧。 对E取非,1994年的worker was significantly less than last year,就是说1994年的工人比去年的工人少的多。 假设1994年的worker是1人,1994年是人均90pound; 而去年的工人比1994年多的多,是100人, 人均40pound。那么在1994年的总污染是:90;而去年的总污染则是4000了。 明白了吧同学,对E取非是一定削弱原文结论的