Expression of IdeasVery hardRecommendation supported by a cost comparison
Expression of Ideas practice question
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- A village hall must choose between a gas boiler and a heat pump.
- The gas boiler costs $6,000 to install and about $2,400 a year to run.
- The heat pump costs $14,000 to install and about $900 a year to run.
- A grant would pay $4,000 of the heat pump's installation cost.
- The hall expects to use the building for at least 15 years.
The student wants to make a recommendation and support it with information from the notes. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
- A. The hall should install the heat pump: with the $4,000 grant and running costs of $900 a year, it would cost about $23,500 over 15 years, against about $42,000 for the gas boiler.Correct
- B. The gas boiler costs $6,000 to install.
- C. The hall should choose the gas boiler, because it is much cheaper to install.
- D. The hall should install both systems so that it can use whichever is cheaper each year.
Answer: A. The hall should install the heat pump: with the $4,000 grant and running costs of $900 a year, it would cost about $23,500 over 15 years, against about $42,000 for the gas boiler.
A recommendation backed by the 15-year totals computed from the notes: 10,000 + 13,500 versus 6,000 + 36,000.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. The gas boiler costs $6,000 to install.
- A single figure, no recommendation.
- C. The hall should choose the gas boiler, because it is much cheaper to install.
- Cheaper to install, but the notes' running costs make it far dearer over 15 years.
- D. The hall should install both systems so that it can use whichever is cheaper each year.
- Nothing in the notes supports paying to install both.
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