Self-study
Energy analyst: During this record-breaking heat wave, air conditioner use has overloaded the region's electrical power grid, resulting in frequent power blackouts throughout the region. ███ ████ ███████ █████████ ████ ████ █████ ██ ███ ████ ███████████ ██ ███ ███████████ ███ ██ █████ ██████ ███ ████ ██ ████ ███████ ██ ███████ █████████ ████ ████████ █████ ██████ ███ ████ ████ ███████
"Surprising" Phenomenon
Why will cutting back on home air conditioning not be enough to avoid blackouts when air conditioning is the cause of those blackouts?
Objective
A hypothesis resolving this discrepancy will provide a reason for blackouts caused by air conditioning to continue even when residents cut back in their homes. It will introduce new information about the electric grid during the heat wave or identify a source of air conditioning other than people’s homes.
8.
Which one of the following, ██ █████ ████ █████ ██ ███████ ███ ████████ ███████████ ██ ███ ███████████ ██████
a
Air-conditioning is not ███ ████ ███████████ █████ ██ ███ ██████████ ██████ ██ ███ █████
This does not explain why the heat wave will lead to blackouts. There is no indication the heat wave will make these other drainages any worse.
b
Most air-conditioning in ███ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██████████ ███ ██████████
This explains why blackouts will continue. Even if residents cut back in their homes, businesses and factories will use enough air conditioning to cause strain on the electric grid.
c
Most air-conditioning systems █████ ██ ████ ████ ██████ █████████ ██ ████████████ ██████ ██████ ██████████████
This does not state that residents will make such modifications. It suggests a way to reduce the chance of blackouts, but does not state that failure to make those modifications will worsen air conditioning’s effect on the electric grid.
d
Residents of the ██████ ███ ███ ██████ ██ ██████ █████ ███ ███████████ ███ ███████████ ██████ ████████████ ███ ████████
This implies residents are unlikely to cut back, but gives no reason blackouts might continue if they do. The author states blackouts will continue even if residents do reduce their usage as asked.
e
The heat wave ██ ████████ ██ █████ ██ ███ ████ ███████
This implies the situation is unlikely to unfold, without addressing the discrepancy that would occur. It gives no reason for air conditioning to cause blackouts in the event the heat wave continues and residents cut back.