题目选项分析

Politician: Implementing a tax on soda may not reduce soda consumption. In addition to irritating the vast majority of constituents who drink soda at least occasionally, it may inspire people who believe the tax is an overreach to defy the government’s public health initiative by buying more soda than ever. And there is no reason to expect that people who already waste money on empty calories will be deterred from wasting slightly more. The two sections in boldface play which of the following roles in the politician’s argument?

【选项】

The first is an intermediate conclusion leading to the argument’s main conclusion; the second is a premise supporting that intermediate conclusion.