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Difficulty: HardIdentifying Main Conclusions

Many municipalities are replacing standard timed traffic lights with "smart" signals that adapt to real-time traffic flow. These seemingly expensive infrastructure upgrades actually represent the most fiscally responsible long-term choice for growing cities. Smart signals consistently reduce the average time that vehicles spend idling at major intersections. Consequently, these signals significantly lower the volume of exhaust emissions concentrated in heavily congested downtown corridors. Because municipalities are subject to severe financial penalties from environmental agencies whenever local air quality falls below federal standards, preventing such emissions is crucial to avoiding catastrophic budget deficits.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?

  1. Installing adaptive traffic signals represents the most financially sensible long-term strategy for expanding municipalities.Answer
  2. B
    Adaptive traffic signals substantially decrease the concentration of exhaust emissions in congested urban areas.
  3. C
    Many growing cities are currently replacing their traditional traffic lights with adaptive smart signals.
  4. D
    Adaptive traffic signals are the only effective method for municipalities to prevent catastrophic budget deficits.
  5. E
    Cities that do not upgrade to smart traffic signals will inevitably face severe financial penalties from environmental agencies.

Answer

The main conclusion is that installing adaptive traffic signals represents the most financially sensible long-term strategy for expanding municipalities.
The argument's central claim is found in the second sentence: smart traffic signals are the most fiscally responsible choice for growing cities. All other statements in the argument—that they reduce idling, lower emissions, and help municipalities avoid environmental financial penalties—serve as evidence to validate this overarching economic claim.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to separate the argument into its structural components (background, premises, intermediate conclusions, and main conclusion).
Sentence 1 provides background context. Sentence 2 makes a broad evaluative claim. Sentences 3, 4, and 5 provide evidence and reasoning to support Sentence 2.
Deconstructing the argument structure is the most reliable method for accurately identifying the main conclusion.
2
Evaluate the relationship between sentences containing claims.
Sentence 4 contains an intermediate conclusion introduced by 'Consequently'. This intermediate conclusion explains how the signals reduce emissions, which in turn supports the central claim in Sentence 2 that the signals are a fiscally responsible choice.
Test-takers often confuse subsidiary conclusions with the main conclusion, especially when explicit conclusion indicators are present.
3
Select the option that most accurately paraphrases the identified main conclusion without changing its logical scope.
The option stating that adaptive signals represent the most financially sensible long-term strategy accurately paraphrases Sentence 2.
The correct answer must precisely match the meaning and degree of certainty of the author's primary conclusion.

Key Concept

Identifying Main Conclusions
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Identifying Main Conclusions

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