The key to this question is understanding what an "effective hourly wage" means.
If you get paid a flat rate of $100, what's your "effective hourly wage"? Well, that depends on how many hours you worked. If you worked 1 hour, then you're "in effect" getting paid $100/hour. If you worked 10 hours, then you're "in effect" getting paid $10/hour.
Once you understand this, (B) should be obvious as the correct answer choice.
This question's pretty tough so I hope you didn't spend too much time on it.
The stimulus tells us that "the law" is as follows. It's important for (C) to note that in context, we are to presume that this is the only law that pertains to contributions to mayoral campaigns in Weston.
What's "the law"?
If (1) $100+ and (2) currently nonresident and (3) never was a resident then must be registered.
For Brimley's campaign, we know that (4) he complied with this law and (5) accepted contributions from residents and former residents and no one else.
What must be true? (4) tells us that his campaign did not run afoul of the law (in other words, no contradiction). We overlook this fact because (4) is a conclusion and we're well trained to be skeptical of conclusions. But, this is a MBT question. The question stem explicitly tells us to presume that EVERYTHING in the stimulus is true. We must accept that in fact Brimley's campaign was run legally.
(5) tells us that Brimley's campaign failed the sufficient conditions of the law. Remember logic games lessons? Sufficient failed, rule irrelevant. In context, that means Brimley's campaign did not have to register any of its contributions. That's exactly what (C) says.
(A) is the attractive, trap answer choice. We're thinking, well, (A) must be true right?
If nonresidents contributed in excess of $100, then it would have to be registered.
First, that's false. This is true: if nonresidents who were never residents contributed in excess of $100, then it would have to be registered. See the difference?
Second, even if that's not false, we don't actually know if Brimely's campaign registered any contributions. We know that (C) they did not NEED to register. But maybe they registered for fun anyway.
Poetry journal patron: Everybody who publishes in The Brick Wall Review has to agree in advance that if a poem is printed in one of its regular issues, the magazine also has the right to reprint it, without monetary compensation, in its annual anthology. The Brick Wall Review makes enough money from sales of its anthologies to cover most operating expenses. So, if your magazine also published an anthology of poems first printed in your magazine, you could depend less on donations. After all, most poems published in your magazine are very similar to those published in The Brick Wall Review.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that if the patron’s magazine published an anthology of poems that were previously printed in regular issues of the magazine, it could depend less on donations. This is because most of the poems published in the magazine are similar to those published in a different magazine, the Brick Wall Review, and that magazine makes a lot of money from publishing an anthology.
Notable Assumptions
The argument assumes that what the Brick Wall Review experiences concerning its anthology issue is similar to what the patron’s magazine would experience by publishing an anthology issue.
A
Neither The Brick Wall Review nor the other magazine under discussion depends on donations to cover most operating expenses.
The conclusion is just that the anthology would allow the patron’s magazine to depend less on donations. Even if donations cover only half or less of operating expenses, an anthology might still decrease the need for donations.
B
Many of the poets whose work appears in The Brick Wall Review have had several poems rejected for publication by the other magazine under discussion.
We know most poems published in the patron’s magazine are similar to those in the BWR. That doesn’t imply the poets who publish in the BWR never get rejected by the patron’s magazine. Maybe only 10% of submissions are accepted; they’re still similar to what’s in the BWR.
C
The only compensation poets receive for publishing in the regular issues of the magazines under discussion are free copies of the issues in which their poems appear.
We already know that the poets in the BWR give up the right to monetary compensation for the anthology. So we already know that the cost is nonexistent or negligible when it comes to paying the poets.
D
The Brick Wall Review depends on donations to cover most operating expenses not covered by income from anthology sales.
We’re told the BWR makes enough from the anthology to cover most operating expenses. That acknowledges that there may be operating expenses not covered by the anthology. Pointing out something the author already acknowledges doesn’t weaken the argument.
E
The Brick Wall Review’s annual poetry anthology always contains a number of poems by famous poets not published in the regular issues of the magazine.
This points out a difference that could affect sales between the BWR’s anthology and an anthology made by the patron’s magazine. The BWR anthology contains stuff from famous poets that didn’t appear before. That’s not just an anthology of poems first printed in the magazine.
A
public servants should not be concerned about the outcomes of public opinion surveys
B
the average public servant knows more about what is best for society than the average person does
C
public servants should be more knowledgeable about the public good than they are
D
public servants should base decisions on something other than the average person’s recommendations
E
one is a good public servant if one is more knowledgeable about the public good than is the average person
A
In the years prior to the introduction of the highway speed limit, many cars could go faster than 90 kph (55 mph).
B
Ten years ago, at least 95 percent of all automobile accidents in the area occurred on roads with a speed limit of under 80 kph (50 mph).
C
Although the speed limit on many highways is officially set at 90 kph (55 mph), most people typically drive faster than the speed limit.
D
Thanks to changes in automobile design in the past ten years, drivers are better able to maintain control of their cars in dangerous situations.
E
It was not until shortly after the introduction of the highway speed limit that most cars were equipped with features such as seat belts and airbags designed to prevent harm to passengers.
A
It is cited as a possible objection to the argument’s conclusion.
B
According to the argument, it is a fact that has misled some social critics.
C
It is the argument’s conclusion.
D
It is claimed to be a false assumption on which the reasoning that the argument seeks to undermine rests.
E
It is used by the argument to attempt to undermine the reasoning behind a viewpoint.