This is an Argument Exchange (Point at Issue) question. The correct answer is one with which one of the speakers would agree and one would disagree.
Powell's conclusion is that private waste-removal companies are more efficient than public waste-removal companies, because private companies spend only 60% of what public companies do.
Freeman disagrees, emphasizing the fact that private companies get to be more selective about the services they provide (in other words: these companies may be more efficient, but not necessarily because they spend less money per customer).
Answer choice (B) is correct. Powell thinks that the "reason private waste-removal companies are able to offer service comparable to that offered by public ones" is because they spend "less money per customer." Freeman would say, by contrast, that the better efficiency is because the private companies can be more selective with respect to which customers they service.
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
Julie-VAugust 21, 2019
It makes sense now why answer choice (B) is correct, but I was wondering if you could explain the flaw with (A). Thanks!
IrinaAugust 21, 2019
@Julie,
F never says that 60% is inaccurate, he merely argues for an alternative explanation for this discrepancy in cost - it is not that private companies are more efficient but they get to pick customers that are less costly to serve.
