The question below consists of a statement followed by two assumptions numbered I and
II. An assumption is something taken for granted or logically presupposed by the speaker. Decide which of the assumptions is implicit in the given statement. Statement: A major metropolitan council announces that all new commercial buildings constructed from 2040 onwards must utilize 100% renewable geothermal heating systems rather than natural gas infrastructure. Assumptions:
I. By 2040, local geothermal supply chains and installation expertise will be sufficiently advanced to meet the heating demands of all new commercial architecture.
II. Commercial property owners will completely tear down or retrofit their existing natural gas heating systems before the year 2040.

Why Assumption I is implicit: When a governing body sets a strict future mandate for all new infrastructure, it operates under the logical prerequisite that the alternative technology will be realistic, available, and scalable by that specific deadline. If the council believed geothermal tech would be completely undeveloped or impossible to implement by 2040, it would not enact a mandatory law for that year. Therefore, the council is taking the future viability of the technology for granted. Why Assumption II is NOT implicit: The statement explicitly restricts the mandate to new commercial buildings constructed from 2040 onwards. The policy says absolutely nothing about forcing existing buildings to eliminate their current systems prior to that date. It is a logical leap to assume that citizens will preemptively discontinue using functional natural gas systems before the law even goes into effect for new builds. Thus, only I forms a necessary, unstated foundation of the statement, making A the right answer.