the prediction that ends the passage would be most seriously called into question if it were true that in the last few years.

　　(a) the price of natural gas to heat homes has remained constant, while the cost of equipment to heat homes with natural gas has fallen sharply.

　　(b) the price of home heating oil has remained constant, while the cost of equipment to heat home with natural gas has risen sharply.

　　(c) the cost of equipment to heat homes with natural gas has fallen sharply, while the price of home heating oil has fallen to 1970 levels.

　　(d) the cost of equipment to heat homes with oil has fallen sharply, while the price of heating with oil has fallen below the price of heating with natural gas

　　(e) the use of oil to heat homes has continued to decline, while the price of heating oil has fallen to 1970 levels

　　36. sometimes when their trainer gives the hand signal for "do something creative together" two dolphins circle a pool in tandem and then leap through the air simultaneously. on the other occasions, the same signal elicits synchronized backward swims or tail-waving. these behaviors are not simply learned responses to a given stimulus. rather, dolphins are capable of higher cognitive <i>function</i>s that may include the use of language and forethought.

　　which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

　　(a) mammals have some resemblance to one another with respect to bodily <i>function</i> and brain structure.

　　(b) the dolphins often exhibit complex new responses to the hand signal.

　　(c) the dolphins are given food incentives as part of their training.

　　(d) dolphins do not interact with humans the way they interact with one another.

　　(e) some of the behaviors mentioned are exhibited by dolphins in their natural habitat

　　37. editorialist: drivers with a large number of demerit points who additionally have been convicted of a serious driving-relative offense should either be sentenced to jail or be forced to receive driver reeducation, since to do otherwise would be to allow a crime to go unpunished. only if such drivers are likely to be made more responsible drivers should driver re-education be recommended for them. unfortunately, it is always almost impossible to make drivers with a large number of demerit points more responsible drivers.

　　if the editorialist's statements are true, they provide the most support for which one of the following?

　　(a) drivers with a large number of demerit points who have been convicted of a serious driving-related offense should be sent to jail.

　　(b) driver re-education offers the best chance of making drivers with a large number of demerit points responsible drivers.

　　(c) driver re-education is not a harsh enough punishment for anyone convicted of a serious driving-related offense who has also

　　(d) driver re-education should not be recommended for those who have committed no serious

　　(e) drivers with a larger number of demerit points but no conviction for a serious driving-related offense should receive driver re-education rather than jail

　　38. amphibian populations are declining in numbers worldwide. not coincidentally, the earth's ozone layer has been continuously depleted throughout the last 50 years. atmospheric ozone blocks uv-b, a type of ultraviolet radiation that is continuously produced by the SUN, and which can damage genes. because amphibians lack hair, hide, or feathers to shield them, they are particularly vulnerable to uv-b radiation. in addition, their gelatinous eggs lack the protection of leathery or hard shells. thus, the primary cause of the declining amphibian population is the depletion of the ozone layer.