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Difficulty: HardRecognizing Implied Cause and Effect

Maintenance crews inspecting a newly resurfaced section of mountain highway discovered extensive longitudinal cracking along the asphalt seam. During the resurfacing operation two days prior, ambient temperatures dropped to forty degrees Fahrenheit just before the rolling machines compacted the final layer. On adjacent sections paved earlier that afternoon under eighty-degree sunlight, the asphalt remained completely smooth. Core samples showed that the asphalt binder in the cracked sections had hardened before reaching the density specified by engineering standards.

The passage suggests that the cracking on the highway was primarily caused by which factor?

  1. A
    The use of sub-standard asphalt binder materials during the mountain resurfacing operation
  2. B
    The development of surface cracks that accelerated the cooling of the underlying asphalt layer
  3. The rapid drop in ambient temperature that hardened the binder before compaction could be completedAnswer
  4. D
    The mechanical compaction performed by rolling machines along the final layer of the roadway

Answer

The rapid drop in ambient temperature that hardened the binder before compaction could be completed
The passage provides two crucial premises: ambient temperature plunged to forty degrees right before rolling, and the asphalt binder hardened before reaching mandatory density. By contrasting this with the undamaged sections paved in warm sunlight, the text implies that the low temperature cooled and stiffened the binder prematurely, preventing effective mechanical compaction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sequence of events and contrasting outcomes in the passage.
Identified that the cracked roadway experienced a drop to forty degrees Fahrenheit right before rolling, whereas sections paved at eighty degrees remained smooth.
Establishing the sole variable difference between successful and failed sections isolates the root cause.
2
Examine the technical findings from the core sample evidence.
Core samples demonstrated that the binder hardened before achieving target density during compaction.
Connecting the physical failure mechanism to the timing of the temperature drop reveals the unstated causal chain.
3
Synthesize the implied cause-and-effect relationship.
The colder air caused premature hardening of the binder, which prevented the rolling equipment from achieving proper density and resulted in cracking.
Bridging premise facts without relying on explicit transitional words fulfills the implied causal deduction.

Key Concept

Recognizing Implied Cause and Effect
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Recognizing Implied Cause and Effect

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