题目
To combat forest fires in Country X, the forestry ministry has been clearing susceptible areas of small trees; but this is expensive, and the resulting small logs often go to waste because there is little demand for them. The ministry therefore plans to encourage local businesses to invest in processes to convert the logs into potentially valuable products, such as flooring or wood chips for heating, and to subsidize the businesses in the purchase of new equipment. The hope is that if these businesses become viable, sales of the small logs will consistently help offset the ministry's costs.
Which of the following would, if true, most increase the plan's chances of success?
选项
A.The forestry ministry increased its budget for forest thinning by 15 percent over the last six years.
B.If a large multinational wood-processing corporation can be attracted to Country X, it would help to lower the rate of unemployment.
C.The forestry ministry plans to define carefully the size specifications of the logs in question.
D.The types of wood in the small trees taken from Country X forests are not all suitable as raw material for flooring or wood chips.
E.A typical building in country X can be heated with reasonably priced wood chips for only about 20 percent of the cost of using conventional fuel.
解析
为了应对X国的森林火灾,林业部一直在清理易受灾区域的小树;但这成本很高,而且由此产生的小原木经常被浪费,因为对它们的需求很少。因此,该部计划鼓励当地企业投资将这些原木转化为有潜在价值产品的工艺,例如地板或用于取暖的木屑,并对企业购买新设备进行补贴。希望如果这些企业能够发展起来,小原木的销售将持续有助于抵消该部的成本。
- **论据**:清理小树成本高且小原木因需求少常被浪费,林业部计划鼓励当地企业投资转化原木工艺并补贴其购买新设备。
- **论点**:期望这些企业发展起来后,小原木销售能持续抵消林业部成本。
- **正确答案方向**:能够表明这些转化后的产品(如用于取暖的木屑等)有市场需求或者有经济优势等,从而使企业有动力去利用小原木生产产品且产品能顺利销售以抵消成本的选项。
- **A选项**:林业部在过去六年将森林疏伐预算增加了15%。过去预算的增加与当前计划鼓励企业利用小原木并通过销售产品抵消成本这一计划的成功与否并无直接关联,不能加强该计划。
- **B选项**:如果能吸引一家大型跨国木材加工公司到X国,将有助于降低失业率。降低失业率并非计划的目标,重点是能否通过企业对小原木的加工销售来抵消成本,该选项与计划的核心问题无关,不能加强。
- **C选项**:林业部计划仔细规定相关原木的尺寸规格。规定原木尺寸规格不意味着企业就能利用这些原木生产出有市场需求的产品从而抵消成本,无法加强计划。
- **D选项**:X国森林中小树的木材类型并非都适合作为地板或木屑的原材料。这反而说明了计划存在原材料方面的阻碍,不利于计划成功,起到了削弱作用。
- **E选项**:X国的一座典型建筑用价格合理的木屑取暖只需使用传统燃料成本的约20%。说明了用木屑取暖成本低,即转化后的产品(木屑)有经济优势,会有市场需求,企业生产这种产品就更有可能通过销售小原木转化后的产品来抵消成本,有力地加强了计划成功的可能性。
综上,正确答案为E。