Question 8

Sooner or later, the city will likely have to allocate funding to eradicate invasive plants in the newly acquired parks.

This assumption is crucial for the park manager's argument, as it suggests that a future need for funding will arise if the invasive plants are not dealt with promptly, thereby justifying the current expenditures.

A) If the invasive plants are not removed from the city's newly acquired parks, they will eventually invade many of the city's older parks.

While this option discusses a potential consequence of failing to eradicate invasive plants, it does not directly support the need for future funding specifically for the newly acquired parks. It focuses more on the impact on older parks rather than the necessity of funding.

B) The city council will not have any more funds next year for eradicating invasive plants in the newly acquired parks than it does this year.

This option addresses potential budget constraints but does not support the argument's premise about the future need for funding. Instead, it merely suggests a limitation rather than an assumption that funding will be necessary.

C) If the invasive plants are eradicated from the city's newly acquired parks this year, no new invasive plants will spread into those parks in future years.

This assumption implies a certainty about the outcome of eradication efforts, which is not a necessary condition for the argument. The argument relies on the likelihood of future funding needs, regardless of whether new plants invade.

D) The city council is obligated to allocate funding to a project only if doing so will help the city avoid larger expenses later.

This option speaks to the council's obligation regarding funding but does not directly address the future necessity of funding for the newly acquired parks. It suggests a condition rather than an assumption about future funding needs.

E) Sooner or later, the city will likely have to allocate funding to eradicate invasive plants in the newly acquired parks.

This statement directly captures the essence of the assumption required by the park manager's argument. It suggests an inevitability about funding needs related to the invasive plants, thus forming the foundation for the argument's rationale.

Conclusion

The correct answer, option E, is essential because it reinforces the idea that future funding will be necessary to address the invasive plant issue in the newly acquired parks. All other options either focus on different implications or do not adequately support the argument about the need for future funding, making E the only assumption that is directly aligned with the park manager's argument.