- Tue Jan 24, 2023 8:13 pm
#99014
Hi Sarah!
Happy to address answer choices (A) and (D).
Answer choice (A) states that "highly trained workers have more purchasing power in modern industrial economies than workers who are less trained." This answer choice brings in "highly trained workers," which are only mentioned at the end of the stimulus. We know that their jobs are less likely to be eliminated, but not much beyond that. We don't know about their purchasing power in comparison with those with less training. Maybe highly trained workers are paid poorly, or have lots of debt, or a variety of other possible scenarios in which they might not have more purchasing power.
Answer choice (D) states, "a source of increased purchasing power for workers in modern industrial economies also undermines their job security." This is stated generically enough that it could be referring to just those workers with jobs that require little training, or it could also encompass highly trained workers. We can break answer choice (D) apart to further see why it's correct. It mentions "a source of increased purchasing power for workers in modern industrial economies," which is referring to the introduction of mass production techniques. These techniques provide "a source of increased purchasing power" for some workers. At the same time that these techniques do this, however, they also undermine job security for those workers.
You're right to note that there's a comparison between highly trained workers and those with less training, and that indeed could be something that is worthwhile to keep an eye out for in answer choices. But having that alone isn't enough to make an answer choice correct. Additionally, an answer choice might not immediately look like a contender because it's stated in general or generic terms. But that alone doesn't necessarily make an answer choice incorrect. Such an answer choice can still be correct if those general terms map onto specific items in the stimulus, as is the case here.