4. Manufacturing plants in Arundia have recently been acquired in substantial numbers by investors from abroad. Arundian politicians are proposing legislative action to stop such investment, justifying the proposal by arguing that foreign investors, opportunistically exploiting a recent fall in the value of the Arundian currency, were able to buy Arundian assets at less than their true value.
Which of the following, if true, casts the most serious doubt on the adequacy of the Arundian politicians' justification for the proposed legislation?

A、 The Arundian government originally welcomed the fall in the value of the Arundian currency because the fall made Arundian exports more competitive on international markets.
B、 Foreign investors who acquired Arundian manufacturing plants generally did so with no intention of keeping and running those plants over the long term.
C、 Without the recent fall in the value of the Arundian currency, many of the Arundian assets bought by foreign investors would have been beyond the financial reach of those investors.
D、 In Concordia, a country broadly similar to Arundia, the share of manufacturing assets that is foreign-controlled is 60 percent higher than it is in Arundia.
E、 The true value of an investment is determined by the value of the profits from it, and the low value of the Arundian currency has depressed the value of any profits earned by foreign investors from Arundian assets.

【正确答案】 E

【答案解析】 Argument Evaluation
Situation After a recent fall in the value of Arundian currency, foreign investors have been acquiring many
Arundian manufacturing plants. Arundian politicians are proposing legislation to stop such
investment.
Reasoning What would most undermine the Arundian politicians' justification for the proposed legislation? The
politicians are justifying their proposal by claiming that foreign investors have been exploiting the
fall in the currency's value by buying Arundian assets at less than their true value (whatever that
means). Any evidence that their claim is false or meaningless would undermine their justification
for the proposal, as would any evidence that the claim, even if true, does not provide a good reason
to stop the foreign investments.
A This suggests that the foreign investors got a good deal on the manufacturing plants, since it provides evidence that those plants will now be more competitive and profitable. So, if anything, it supports the politicians' justification for their proposal rather than undermining it.
B This suggests that the foreign investors generally believe the manufacturing plants are undervalued, and intend to sell them at a profit as soon as the currency rises enough. So it supports the politicians' justification for their proposal rather than undermining it.
C This suggests that the recent fall in the currency's value made Arundian assets cost less than usual for foreign investors, thus arguably allowing the investors to buy the assets at less than their true value. So, if anything, it supports the politicians' justification for their proposal rather than undermining it.
D The Arundian politicians might consider the example of Concordia to be a warning of the disaster that could befall Arundia unless the legislation is enacted. So the situation in Concordia might be cited as support for the politicians' justification of their proposal.
E Correct. This implies that the fall in the Arundian currency's value has reduced the true value of Arundian manufacturing plants and any profits they may make, so it undermines the politicians' claim that the foreign investors exploited the fall in the currency's value to acquire the plants for less than their true value.
The correct answer is E.