<p>This is a <span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Critical Reasoning</strong></span> question, as indicated by the phrases "if true", specifically an <span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Explain the Paradox</strong></span> question, as indicated by "helps to explain why". We need to follow a process for these questions.</p>
<p>Step 1: Identify the TWO CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS.</p>
<ul>
<li>Electric washing machines reduce the time spent to wash a given amount of clothes.</li>
<li>The average amount of time spent washing clothes increased for rural households with electric washing machines.</li>
</ul>
<p>Step 2: BUILD A BRIDGE to provide a new piece of information to make the paradox disappear</p>
<ul>
<li>The first statement only refers to a reduction in time spent washing one set of clothes. Perhaps they washed clothes more often once washing machines arrived. Perhaps there was some kind of economic change that lead to people owning more clothes.</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color:#27ae60;"><span style="font-size:20px;">The Right Answer</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#27ae60;">A:</span> This explains why more time was spent washing clothes, despite each wash taking less time. If people washed their clothes more frequently, it could offset the time saved per wash, and lead to an overall increased time spent washing clothes.</p>
<p><span style="color:#e74c3c;"><span style="font-size:20px;">The Wrong Answers</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">B:</span> This <strong>does nothing to resolve the paradox</strong>. The question is about "rural households" which have "no access to professional laundries" according to the passage.</li>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">C:</span> This <strong>does nothing to resolve the paradox</strong>. The question is about "rural households", not "urban households".</li>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">D:</span> This <strong>does nothing to resolve the paradox</strong>. Modern electric washing machines have nothing to do with the passage content.</li>
</ul>