The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct choice is “graduates from such programs will be better equipped to meet the challenges of their chosen professions than they otherwise would be.”
This option serves as the most logical conclusion to the argument presented in the text. The passage begins by acknowledging a concern that focusing on teamwork skills in engineering education might come at the expense of fundamental technical knowledge. However, the author immediately refutes this by calling it a “false choice.” The core of the argument is that engineering programs should not reduce their technical curriculum. Instead, they should supplement it by incorporating “interdisciplinary teamwork.”
The purpose of this combined approach, as the text explains, is to enable students to apply their technical skills within a “complex, team-oriented setting.” The author concludes this thought by labeling this combination a “powerful sort of preparedness.” Therefore, the final sentence should logically follow from this idea of enhanced preparedness.
The chosen answer perfectly encapsulates this outcome. If students possess this “powerful sort of preparedness,” it follows directly that they will be “better equipped to meet the challenges of their chosen professions.” Modern professional challenges often demand both technical expertise and the ability to collaborate effectively.
The other options are less fitting. One option incorrectly suggests that teamwork skills are more important than technical skills, which contradicts the author’s “false choice” argument. Another option introduces the external concept of employer demand, which is not mentioned in the text. The final incorrect option is too narrow and defensive, focusing only on the lack of detriment to future leaders, rather than stating the positive, overarching benefit of the proposed educational model for all graduates.
