16.In Argonia the average rate drivers pay for car accident insurance is regulated to allow insurance companies to make a reasonable profit. Under the regulations， the rate any individual driver pays never depends on the actual distance driven by that driver each year. Therefore， Argonians who drive less than average partially subsidize the insurance of those who drive more than average.

The conclusion above would be properly drawn if it were also true that in Argonia

（A） the average accident insurance rate for all drivers rises whenever a substantial number of new drivers buy insurance

（B） the average cost to insurance companies of insuring drivers who drive less than the annual average is less than the average cost of insuring drivers who drive more than the annual average

（C） the lower the age of a driver， the higher the insurance rate paid by that driver

（D） Insurance company profits would rise substantially if drivers were classified in terms of the actual number of miles they drive each year

（E） Drivers who have caused insurance companies to pay costly claims generally pay insurance rates that are equal to or lower than those paid by other drivers

17.Despite the approach of winter， oil prices to industrial customers are exceptionally low this year and likely to remain so. Therefore， unless the winter is especially severe， the price of natural gas to industrial customers is also likely to remain low.

Which of the following， if true， provides the most support for the conclusion above？

（A） Long-term weather forecasts predict a mild winter.

（B） The industrial users who consume most natural gas can quickly and cheaply switch to using oil instead.

（C） The largest sources of supply for both oil and natural gas are in subtropical regions unlikely to be affected by winter weather.

（D） The fuel requirements of industrial users of natural gas are not seriously affected by the weather.

（E） Oil distribution is more likely to be affected by severe winter weather than is the distribution of natural gas.

18.Most geologists believe oil results from chemical transformations of hydrocarbons derived from organisms buried under ancient seas. Suppose，instead， that oil actually results from bacterial action on other complex hydrocarbons that are trapped within the Earth. As is well known， the volume of these hydrocarbons exceeds that of buried organisms. Therefore， our oil reserves would be greater than most geologists believe.

Which of the following， if true， gives the strongest support to the argument above about our oil reserves？

（A） Most geologists think optimistically about the Earth's reserves of oil.

（B） Most geologists have performed accurate chemical analyses on previously discovered oil reserves.

（C） Ancient seas are buried within the Earth at many places where fossils are abundant.

（D） The only bacteria yet found in oil reserves could have leaked down drill holes from surface contaminants.

（E） Chemical transformations reduce the volume of buried hydrocarbons derived from organisms by roughly the same proportion as bacterial action reduces the volume of other complex hydrocarbons.

keys： DCABE BBE