8. The survival of the publishing industry depends upon the existence of a public who will buy the printed word in the form of newspapers, books and magazines.
Over the past several years, however, the advance of electronic media, particularly CD-ROMs, online computer services, and the Internet, has made information available to the public electronically without the need for printed materials. As the availability of electronic media increases and as it is more easily accessible, the public has less need for printed materials.
So the publishing industry is threatened by the advance of the computer information age.
The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
(A) The first is the part of evidence that the argument includes, the second is the conclusion that can be drawn only from the first.
(B) The first is the second-premise that the argument includes; the second is the conclusion that is reasonably drawn form this passage.
(C) The first is the second-premise that the argument includes, the second is the inference that must be drawn from this argument.
(D) The first is the fact that must be true, the second is the inference that can be correctly drawn from this argument.
(E) The first is the part of premise that the argument depends on; the second is the conclusion that is incorrectly drawn from this argument
Premise:
1) The availability of electronic media increases.
2) The electronic media is more easily accessible.
Conclusion:
The public has less need for printed materials.
The first two sentences, including the 1st BF, are just background info. The last sentence, which is the 2nd BF, is an inference extended from the conclusion. D) is the correct answer.
B) is wrong because 1st BF is not the premise.
The above is the "official" explanation.
My answer would be:
Premise:
1) The survival of the publishing industry depends upon the existence of a public who will buy the printed word in the form of newspapers, books and magazines.
2) As the availability of electronic media increases and as it is more easily accessible, the public has less need for printed materials.
Conclusion:
So the publishing industry is threatened by the advance of the computer information age.
1st BF: evidence to support the premise
2nd BF: Conclusion.
-- by 会员 sdcar2010 (2011/6/21 1:36:12)