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      Question

      Read the passage below and determine which of the given

      options most seriously WEAKENS the argument that the proposed policy will significantly reduce the overall problem. Argument: To combat severe municipal water shortages during the dry season, a regional government has mandated a strict residential lawn-watering restriction, allowing homeowners to use outdoor sprinklers only twice a week. The administration claims that this policy will drastically conserve water reserves and stabilize the cityтАЩs overall supply. Critics, however, argue that the policy is a superficial measure that fails to address deeper systemic issues such as outdated commercial cooling systems and massive leaks in the municipal water grid infrastructure. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument that the lawn-watering restriction will significantly conserve water reserves?
      A The local municipality is offering financial rebates to homeowners who replace their grass lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
      B An independent environmental audit revealed that residential lawn watering accounts for only 15% of the regionтАЩs total water consumption. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
      C The regional government also approved a parallel project to upgrade water recycling facilities at municipal waste plants. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
      D Public compliance monitors reported that over 90% of neighborhood households strictly followed the watering schedule during its initial rollout. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
      E Neighboring municipalities are closely watching the project and considering similar drought-response mandates for their own suburbs Correct Answer Incorrect Answer

      Solution

      Why B is correct: The governmentтАЩs claim is that restricting residential lawn watering will significantly conserve water reserves and stabilize the city's overall supply. If residential lawn watering accounts for a mere 15% of the region's total water consumption (as stated in B), then even perfect compliance with the restriction will only affect a tiny sliver of the overall water usage. This leaves the remaining 85% of water usage completely untouched, severely undermining the argument that this specific policy can significantly solve the broader water crisis. Why A is incorrect: This discusses alternative water-saving solutions and incentives provided to citizens, which supports the overall goal of urban water management but does not address or weaken the impact of the specific mandatory restriction. Why C is incorrect: This introduces an unrelated parallel policy (upgrading municipal waste plants). It does not evaluate or weaken the specific claim regarding lawn-watering conservation. Why D and E are incorrect: These options highlight high public compliance and potential cross-city adoption. They emphasize the successful implementation and positive reception of the policy, which tends to support its feasibility rather than weakening its environmental efficacy.

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