Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardMain Point

Urban Planner: The current push to replace aging macro-grid infrastructure entirely with decentralized microgrids is misguided. Proponents of total decentralization correctly note that microgrids can autonomously isolate themselves during catastrophic weather events, thereby offering undeniable resilience against localized outages. What they ignore, however, is the inherent volatility of localized renewable energy generation. Macro-level grid integration is uniquely capable of smoothing out this volatility by instantaneously redistributing surplus power across vast geographic distances. Consequently, abandoning the integrated macro-grid would force a purely decentralized system to rely on massively redundant and highly impractical energy storage solutions just to maintain baseline stability.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the urban planner's argument?

  1. A
    Moving to a purely decentralized energy system would require a heavy reliance on impractical energy storage solutions to ensure baseline stability.
  2. B
    Macro-level grid integration is the only viable method for protecting electrical networks from catastrophic weather events.
  3. The resilience benefits of decentralized microgrids do not justify completely eliminating large-scale, integrated electrical grid infrastructure.Answer
  4. D
    The environmental benefits of renewable energy generation cannot be fully realized unless massively redundant energy storage systems are deployed.
  5. E
    Aging macro-grid infrastructure should be entirely replaced by decentralized microgrids because they offer superior resilience during catastrophic weather events.

Answer

The resilience benefits of decentralized microgrids do not justify completely eliminating large-scale, integrated electrical grid infrastructure.
The correct answer accurately synthesizes the author's primary claim, which is stated in the opening sentence: the push to entirely replace the macro-grid with microgrids is 'misguided'. It also correctly incorporates the author's concession regarding the 'resilience benefits' of microgrids, making it a perfect paraphrase of the overarching argument.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first sentence of the stimulus.
Identified the author's primary claim: 'The current push to replace aging macro-grid infrastructure entirely with decentralized microgrids is misguided.'
Evaluative language like 'is misguided' often signals the author's main viewpoint.
2
Evaluate the structural role of the second sentence ('Proponents... correctly note...').
Recognized this as a concession to the opposing viewpoint, acknowledging the resilience of microgrids.
Concessions help define the scope of the main conclusion by showing what the author is willing to admit despite their ultimate disagreement.
3
Analyze the structural role of the final sentence ('Consequently, abandoning... would force...').
Determined that this is an intermediate conclusion describing the negative outcome of total decentralization.
Although introduced by the conclusion indicator 'Consequently', this sentence exists merely to prove *why* the push for total replacement is 'misguided' (the claim in sentence 1).
4
Synthesize the findings to formulate the main point.
The main point is that despite their resilience, it is a mistake to entirely replace the macro-grid with microgrids.
The correct answer must capture the overarching claim that all other premises and intermediate conclusions are designed to support.

Key Concept

Identifying the ultimate conclusion in an argument where structural indicators (like 'consequently') deliberately misdirect attention toward intermediate conclusions.
Estimated Time:2m 15s
Rate this question

Topics

Main Point

More questions from this topic