GWD 14 22 削弱的题

呼啸700

22. GWD-18-Q22
In each of the past five years, Barraland’s prison population has increased.Yet, according to official government statistics, for none of those years has there been either an increase in the number of criminal cases brought to trial, or an increase in the rate at which convictions have been obtained.Clearly, therefore, the percentage of people convicted of crimes who are being given prison sentences is on the increase.（ＮＣＮＣＮＣＮＣＮＣＮＣ）

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

1. In Barraland the range of punishments that can be imposed instead of a prison sentence is wide.（我的错误选项）
   
   
2. Over the last ten years, overcrowding in the prisons of Barraland has essentially been eliminated as a result of an ambitious program of prison construction.
   
   
3. Ten years ago, Barraland reformed its criminal justice system, imposing longer minimum sentences for those crimes for which a prison sentence had long been mandatory.（答案）
   
   
4. Barraland has been supervising convicts on parole more closely in recent years, with the result that parole violations have become significantly less frequent.
   
   
5. The number of people in Barraland who feel that crime is on the increase is significantly greater now than it was five years ago.
   
   这个题 咋感觉这么怪  什么都不变 为什么还会 推出 那个犯罪的 increase ?????????
   
   

sdcar2010

The stimulus says that the prison population increased. What could be the causes? For one thing, more people could be convicted and put into jail. This increase could be caused by 1) the hike in the percentage of conviction rate during trials or 2) the bump in the people who were brought to trials. For another, 3) the same amount of people could be penalized for a longer sentence for the same crime.

The stimulus says 1) is wrong, so it must be 2).  Choice C says no, it is 3).

littlexian

The fact is "Barraland’s prison population has increased in past five years" , but why?
There are two other facts in the passage. "None of those years has there been either 1. an increase in the number of criminal cases brought to trial, or 2. an increase in the rate at which convictions have been obtained."

"the percentage of people convicted of crimes who are being given prison sentences is on the increase" could be a good reason, however, since we have to weaken it, we must find out another one.

Choice 1. 2. 4. 5. have nothing to do with "increasing population in the prison". Only 3 left.

Choice 1., if Barraland has wide range of punishments can be used other than putting people into jail, then the population in the prison should decrease, not increase.

Choice 3. Prison is a place people "come and go". There are always people going to jail, and there are always people leaving. Therefore, if since ten years ago, new prisoners started to need to stay longer than before, the prison population would start getting higher after couple years.

For example, before ten years ago, a crime in Barraland usually caused 4~5 years in prison. If the number of people be put into jail each year just matched the people leave each year, then the population of the prison would be steady. However, ten years ago, Barraland changed its law, a crime would cause 10~15 years in prison. Five years after the change, those prisoners who should be able to leave as before have to stay now. If the number of people be put into jail was still like before, then the prison population starts to increase.