Transportation Planner: Any infrastructure project that expands highway capacity inevitably encourages urban sprawl. The newly approved North Corridor expansion will add two additional lanes to the existing highway. Therefore, the North Corridor expansion will undoubtedly result in increased carbon emissions for the region.
Which of the following are assumptions upon which the transportation planner's argument depends? Select all that apply.
- Adding two additional lanes to an existing highway expands highway capacity.Answer
- Encouraging urban sprawl results in increased carbon emissions for the region.Answer
- CAny infrastructure project that results in increased carbon emissions for the region encourages urban sprawl.
- DThe North Corridor expansion is the only infrastructure project currently approved for the region.
- EInfrastructure projects that do not expand highway capacity will not encourage urban sprawl.
Answer
The argument requires assuming both that adding lanes constitutes expanding highway capacity, and that encouraging urban sprawl leads to increased carbon emissions.
The correct choices bridge the two distinct logical gaps in the argument. First, the argument jumps from the North Corridor 'adding two additional lanes' to the premise about 'expanding highway capacity'. Second, it jumps from the consequence of 'encouraging urban sprawl' to the conclusion of 'increased carbon emissions'. Both connections are strictly necessary for the argument's conclusion to validly follow from its premises.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Bridging Gap (Supporter) Assumptions