[The first is a fact that ...] Most scientists agree that new lines of interdisciplinary research are the need of the hour. Even go

Most scientists agree that new lines of interdisciplinary research are the need of the hour. Even government committees on science have stressed the need for more interdisciplinary projects. Yet, of ten proposals for new interdisciplinary projects last year, only one was successfully funded. Some have suggested that this means that as yet researchers are not coming up with sufficiently persuasive projects, or that their proposals are not of high enough quality, or even that the reputations of these researchers is not high enough. However, the real reason probably lies in the way funding is organized. Funding is still allocated according to the old categories and there are no funds specifically for research that overlaps different subject areas.
The two parts in bold-face are related to each other in which of the following ways?

The first is a finding that the author finds unacceptable; the second is the author`s own position

The first is a finding that the author attempts to account for; the second is a finding that contradicts the author`s main conclusion.

The first is a fact that the author attempts to account for. The second is data that explicitly supports the author`s main conclusion.

The first is a position that the author opposes; the second is the author`s main position.

The first is a situation that the author finds paradoxical; the second is an assumption that the author uses to reinforce the paradox.

The Dean claimed that, as a result of continued cutbacks in the budget for pure science research, fewer students are choosing a career in physics, and therefore the number of postgraduate students studying physics is likely to decline. Which of the following, if true, casts most doubt on the Dean`s conclusion?	Answer
Sue: Commercial flights currently contribute more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in one year than does the whole of Africa. If we want to reduce global warming we need to restrict the number of flights we take. Dave: Did you know that by taking one inter-continental flight you cause more pollution than you would in twelve months of car travel? Dave`s response to Sue`s comment serves to	Answer
Division manager: I want to replace the Microton computers in my division with Vitech computers. General manager: Why? Division manager: It costs 28 percent less to train new staff on the Vitech. General manager: But that is not a good enough reason. We can simply hire only people who already know how to use the Microton computer. Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the general manager’s objection to the replacement of Microton computers with Vitechs?	Answer
A marriage counselor noted that couples who have occasional violent arguments are less likely to divorce within the next six months than those who have frequent but less violent arguments. He concluded that frequent arguing is a major factor in the causation of severe marital disharmony. The counselor`s conclusion is most weakened by which of the following observations?	Answer
United States hospitals have traditionally relied primarily on revenues from paying patients to offset losses from unreimbursed care. Almost all paying patients now rely on governmental or private health insurance to pay hospital bills. Recently, insurers have been strictly limiting what they pay hospitals for the care of insured patients to amounts at or below actual costs. Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the information above?	Answer
Josh has twenty years of typing experience behind him; therefore, if you are looking for an efficient typist to enter your data into the new system, you need look no further. The speaker assumes that	Answer
It is strange that in Sentacity there are so many corner shops selling food items. After all there are many supermarkets in the city which sell food at cheaper prices, and many of these supermarkets are open 24-hours. Which of the following, if true, would be of least help in explaining the paradoxical observation?	Answer
In the past most airline companies minimized aircraft weight to minimize fuel costs. The safest airline seats were heavy, and airlines equipped their planes with few of these seats. This year the seat that has sold best to airlines has been the safest one—a clear indication that airlines are assigning a higher priority to safe seating than to minimizing fuel costs. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?	Answer
Thousands of people have tonsillectomies every year and all live normal lives after the operation. We can conclude, from this observation, that the tonsils have no function in the body. The argument would be most weakened by which of the following, if it were true?	Answer
Between 1975 and 1985, nursing-home occupancy rates averaged 87 percent of capacity, while admission rates remained constant, at an average of 95 admissions per 1,000 beds per year. Between 1985 and 1988, however, occupancy rates rose to an average of 92 percent of capacity, while admission rates declined to 81 per 1,000 beds per year. If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be most properly drawn?	Answer