|Question 8Verbal

Source Texts

Text
Text 1
In northern and western Nebraska, many buildings and other structures rest on soil that is expansive, meaning that it swells or shrinks as its moisture level changes. Civil engineer Jay X. Wang has noted that the effects of expansive soil appear slowly in the form of gradually growing cracks in foundations, walls, and pavements. Because these effects are incremental and can generally be repaired (though at some cost), structures in northern and western Nebraska are typically not built to resist them.

Text 2
In a 2021 study, Rubayet Bin Mostafiz and colleagues calculated that in the state of Louisiana alone, the annual cost of damage caused by expansive soils reaches nearly $90 million. But they note that this damage can be mitigated: building structures on pile supports can significantly reduce the effects of soil swelling and shrinking.
Based on the texts, how would Rubayet Bin Mostafiz and colleagues (Text 2) most likely respond to the information presented in Text 1?
They would recommend that engineers in northern and western Nebraska measure the moisture level in the soil beneath proposed structures before beginning construction.
A
They would argue that engineers in northern and western Nebraska have misjudged the effectiveness of the techniques they use to reduce the effects of expansive soil.
B
They would encourage engineers in northern and western Nebraska to use pile supports when building new structures.
C
They would suggest that engineers in northern and western Nebraska consider the cost of replacing the pile supports on which existing structures rest.
D