Q1

[demetri.blaisdell]

This main point question is pretty straight-forward. The only tricky thing about the scale is that most of the text seems to be about the author's point of view. I forced another side to the scale using the second paragraph (the part about the oil industry regulating itself)

(D) is a good overview of the author's position. You can find support for it in lines 4-7 and 42-51.

Wrong answers:

(A) is contradicted. The author thinks that over-reliance on hindsight and lack of information have led to the problems we have now. It seems reasonable to infer that the author thinks that further study and careful regulations might help prevent future disasters.

(B) is narrow scope. Yes, the author agrees there has been concern over this contamination. But she's answering the question of why the contamination happened.

(C) has degree problems. Sure, the author thinks that hindsight is part of the problem. But there's also the lack of study (lines 45-51).

(E) is also narrow scope. This sums up the second paragraph. But that was an example from the 1890s. There's no indication that the oil industry is still doing that. That was just an example of why the industry is not capable of regulating itself.

Feel free to post any questions you may have about this.

Demetri