请教OG 11th 86

daizypig

Journalist: In physics journals, the number of articles reporting the results of experiments involving partice accelerators was lower last year than it had been in previous year. Several of the particle accelerators at major research institutions were out of service the year before last for repairs, so it is likely that the low number of articles was due to the decline in availiability of particle accelerators.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the journalist's argument?

D Particle accelerators can be used for more than one group of experiments in any given year.

E Recent changes in the editorial policies of several physics journals have decreased the likelihood that articles concerning particle-accelerator research will be accepted for publication.

答案是E。我对E没有疑问。但我觉得D也是对的。

ETS对D的解释是：If the accelerators can be used for multiple experiments, then it is reasonble to expect more articles related to them, not fewer. 可这不正好就undermine了原文的结论么？

请指教！

neo1001

要undermine的是原文的argument，而不是conclusion

原文的line of reasoning是，因为可用的机器少了，所有papers少了

undermine这个argument的是指出papers少的原因不是机器少了，而是由于其他因素

ETS对D的解释，我觉得是在说，原题一开始就提到了papers少了这个事实，而D所说的跟这个时候相反。但这个不是在undermine原文的argument，而是在间接否定原文一开始提出的事实，与原文的argument无关。

daizypig

有些明白了。觉得自己好多题做错了都是因为没有读懂题