How will the right answer fit in terms of support and conclusion?

Only the right answer will add support for the climbers’ belief.

Highlight the main conclusion in the passage, if there is one:

the rising annual toll of deaths and injuries among climbers in these regions can be significantly reduced only by completely abolishing the rescue squads.
*Technically this is not a conclusion, since no support is given for it. But the prompt is pretty clear that this is what the right answer will support. 😀

[BACKGROUND]. However, [BACKGROUND].

Map the wording of the answers to the wording of the passage:

(A) It is difficult to retrain and train members for the rescue squads.

Cool, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with reducing “the rising annual toll of deaths and injuries”. This is bringing in a new factor that doesn’t map to the passage.

(B) The recording of deaths and injuries tends to be more accurate…

This is comparing the accuracy of data where there are rescue squads to the accuracy of data where there are no rescue squads. What does that have to do with abolishing the squads to reduce “deaths and injuries”? If you have an answer to that, you’re adding in your own reasoning. There’s really no direct connection, and this doesn’t justify anything.

(C) People who commonly take risks with their lives and health…

It might be reasonable to assume this is a reference to “mountain climbers”, but the author never actually says they “take risks with their lives and health”. That’s already pushing it, in terms of mapping to the wording in the passage. But even if we accept that as common sense, how does this support “completely abolishing the rescue squads”? At best it supports that the squads are unnecessary, but that’s very different from supporting getting rid of them.

(D) …were not adequately prepared for the dangers…

Fourth answer in a row that’s bringing in something new that doesn’t directly connect to any of the wording in the climbers’ belief. The rescue squads don’t even get referenced in this one.

(E) The lower the risk…the greater the number of less competent climbers who attempt…

I don’t love this, but it all maps. It’s pretty clear that the rescue squads “lower the risk”, and it’s common sense that “less competent climbers” are more likely to be hurt or killed. So “abolishing the rescue squads” would discourage those novices from climbing, which would save some casualties.

(E) is the correct answer.