According to the Tristate Transportation Authority, making certain improvements to the main commuter rail line would increase ridership dramatically. The authority plans to finance these improvements over the course of five years by raising automobile tolls on the two highway bridges along the route the rail line serves. Although the proposed improvements are indeed needed, the authority's plan for securing the necessary funds should be rejected because it would unfairly force drivers to absorb the entire cost of something from which they receive no benefit.

Which of the following, if true, would cast the most doubt on the effectiveness of the authority's plan to finance the proposed improvements by increasing bridge tolls?


Before the authority increases tolls on any of the area bridges, it is required by law to hold public hearings at which objections to the proposed increase can be raised.

Whenever bridge tolls are increased, the authority must pay a private contractor to adjust the automated toll-collecting machines.

Between the time a proposed toll increase is announced and the time the increase is actually put into effect, many commuters buy more tokens than usual to postpone the effects of the increase.

When tolls were last increased on the two bridges in question, almost 20 percent of the regular commuter traffic switched to a slightly longer alternative route that has since been improved.

The chairman of the authority is a member of the Tristate Automobile Club that has registered strong opposition to the proposed toll increase.

考题讲解

情景:Tristate交通局说改进主要通勤地铁将大大增强运力。交通局计划在5年中提高过桥费。尽管改善是需要的,政府计划应该被否决,因为强迫不会从项目获得好处的司机为此付出成本是不公平的。

推理:本题最后的部分在解释为什么计划该被否决,但这句话实际上和解题完全没有关系,因为最后问的是effectiveness of the authority's plan,即,问的是计划的效果,而完全不涉及计划不该做的原因。
因此,本题是方案推理,推理结构为:
目标:融资
方案:在5年中提高过桥费

选题方式:方案推理有三个评估方向,简而言之,即,答案选项一定和方案的内容相关。

选项分析:

A选项:
在增加过桥费前,依法需要举行可能会产生反对意见的听证会。听证会也仅是可能产生反对意见,并非一定让方案无法实施,因此,本选项不涉及方案的三个评估方向。

B选项:无论何时增加过桥费,交通局必须为调整自动收费机付费。本选项确实增加了实施方案的额外成本,可以在一定程度上影响方案的可操作性,但是强度小于选项D。

C选项:在提出增加过桥费和过桥费实际增长的生效期间,很多通勤者买更多“优惠券”以延缓增长效果。本选项讨论的是通勤者们应对方案的方法,和方案本身的属性无关。

D选项:Correct. 当过桥费上涨时,几乎20%的通勤者换了线路。如果很多人换了入城线路,则交通局不一定能获得更多过桥费,使得方案未必能达成目标。属于CQ1:方案的可行性问题

E选项:交通局长是汽车俱乐部成员,这个俱乐部反对增加过桥费。本选项没有提及方案的任何信息,可以排除。

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Prep2007E1-CR

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