Despite improvements in treatment for asthma, the death rate from this disease has doubled during the past decade from its previous rate. Two possible explanations for this increase have been offered. First, the recording of deaths due to asthma has become more widespread and accurate in the past decade than it had been previously. Second, there has been an increase in urban pollution. However, since the rate of deaths due to asthma has increased dramatically even in cities with long-standing, comprehensive medical records and with little or no urban pollution, one must instead conclude that the cause of increased deaths is the use of bronchial inhalers by asthma sufferers to relieve their symptoms.
Each of the following, if true, provides support to the argument EXCEPT:
(A) Urban populations have doubled in the past decade.
(B) Records of asthma deaths are as accurate for the past twenty years as for the past ten years.
(C) Evidence suggests that inhalers make the lungs more sensitive to irritation by airborne pollen.
(D) By temporarily relieving the symptoms of asthma, inhalers encourage sufferers to avoid more beneficial measures.
(E) Ten years ago bronchial inhalers were not available as an asthma treatment.
雖然氣喘的治療進步,死亡率在過去十年中較之前倍增。可能解釋原因有二,1. 氣喘死亡病例的紀錄更精確而廣泛。 2. 城市中污染增加。 然而,在有長期完備醫療紀錄、少污染的城市中死亡率仍然急升,因此,原因必為氣管舒張劑的使用,舒緩了病人的症狀所致。
我認同(A)的答案,代表死亡率倍增只是來自於人口的倍增。
但是(B)當中資訊與題目相左,為何不能選?
請各位指教,謝謝。