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Difficulty: EasyPoints of Disagreement

Passage A
To effectively combat urban congestion and pollution, city planners must prioritize the expansion of subway systems. Subways move millions of people underground, completely removing them from the street level. This drastically reduces traffic jams and the surface-level emissions associated with idling cars. While the initial construction costs are high, no other transportation infrastructure can match the long-term efficiency and high passenger capacity of a comprehensive underground rail network, making it a highly practical investment for the future.

Passage B
The traditional approach of building massive subway systems to solve urban traffic issues is no longer economically viable or practical. The astronomical construction costs and decades-long timelines mean that cities wait too long for relief, and often fall into severe debt. Instead, city planners should prioritize the development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) networks. By creating dedicated bus lanes on existing streets, BRT systems can be implemented at a fraction of the cost and time of subways, providing comparable reductions in congestion and pollution.

Based on the passages, which of the following most accurately describes a point of disagreement between the two authors?

  1. Whether building comprehensive subway systems remains a practical and economically viable solution for urban traffic issues.Answer
  2. B
    Whether Bus Rapid Transit networks can successfully reduce congestion and pollution in modern cities.
  3. C
    Whether the transition to electric vehicles will eventually make public transportation systems obsolete.
  4. D
    Whether the implementation of new public transportation will entirely eradicate surface-level emissions.
  5. E
    Whether the initial construction costs of subways cause surface-level traffic jams and idling cars.

Answer

The correct answer identifies the disagreement over whether building comprehensive subway systems remains a practical and economically viable solution.
The correct answer accurately captures a direct contradiction between the texts. Passage A explicitly defends the expansion of subway systems as a 'highly practical investment,' whereas Passage B explicitly rejects this approach, stating it is 'no longer economically viable or practical.'

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Passage A to determine the author's primary stance.
Passage A argues that subways, despite high initial costs, have unmatched long-term efficiency and are a 'highly practical investment.'
Understanding the first author's main argument is required before a comparison can be made.
2
Analyze Passage B to determine the author's primary stance.
Passage B argues that subways are 'no longer economically viable or practical' due to astronomical costs and long timelines, advocating for BRT instead.
Understanding the second author's main argument allows us to locate overlapping topics.
3
Identify the overlapping topic where the authors take opposing positions.
Both authors explicitly discuss the practicality and economic viability of building subway systems, taking directly opposite views.
A true point of disagreement requires both authors to address the same issue and hold conflicting opinions.

Key Concept

Identifying explicitly stated points of disagreement between dual passages.
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Points of Disagreement

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