Question 1
Answer: B
The argument here is that we should not take aviation for granted. The author states in the first paragraph: “A great many of the technologies we routinely rely on in the 21st century are taken for granted... perhaps the most overlooked of all is the miracle of heavier-than-air human flight”.
The author then states that environmental campaigners are taking the benefits of air travel for granted: “taking anything from a monolithic viewpoint always risks missing the bigger picture and taking for granted something we are lucky to have”. The author is very much against “stifling” aviation. They also state that Coronavirus “has already warned us of the risks of complacency with regard to air transport, with airlines facing bankruptcy daily”.
Therefore, the correct answer is B.
A: It is certainly true that aviation has provided economic, global-political and social benefits. However, these are mentioned as benefits that could be lost if aviation were taken for granted.
C: The author clearly doesn't say this. In fact, they are keen to tell us about the steps being taken in the aviation sector to tackle pollution.
D: This is also true, but is not really the thing the author is campaigning or arguing for.
E: Again, this is certainly true, but the author isn't advocating anything with this statement. E is really just an inert statement or opinion, not an active argument.
Question 2
Answer: D
This question is about understanding nuances. The author states: "let us continue to marvel at the miracle of what humanity has achieved and allow this ultra-competitive market, complemented by class-leading global regulation, to fashion its own environmental solutions".
The market, then, should be allowed to fashion its own solutions. However, this should be "complemented" by global regulation. Therefore, the solution is not left entirely to the free market (B), nor mainly to regulation (C) , nor to neither of them (E).
This leaves A and D. A suggests that the free market and regulation take an equal role, whereas D makes clear that solutions are predominantly the responsibility of the market. As we are told that regulation has merely a complementary role, D is the correct answer.
Question 3
Answer: C
A: It is convincing to say reducing our use of air travel, as some environmental campaigners have suggested, does not mean that air travel is taken for granted. This works by undermining the author's causal link.
B: Again, the causal link in the author's reasoning is questioned. Facing bankruptcy is largely the result of the virus, and not necessarily demonstrative of a complacent attitude towards aviation.
D: This squarely tackles the centre of the author's thesis by suggesting a valid alternative. It could well be that telecommunications, geopolitics and shipping were more important in the social, economic and political changes the author mentioned.
E: While maybe less direct, this certainly tackles the Eurocentric, or First-World-Focus of the author. In many countries, air travel has not been available to advance society.
This leaves C as the correct answer. Stating that the benefits of aviation are the result of individuals, companies and international organisations does no work in rebutting the argument. It is merely paraphrasing the term 'aviation', i.e. aviation is nothing more than the people and organisations that make it up, anyway.