Read the passage and answer: The new equipment had cost the company nearly half a million dollars, but the production manager had been confident it would pay off. After six months of operation, however, the failure rate was still 12%, far above the expected 2%. Meetings between engineering, quality control, and the manufacturer had not resolved the issue. The CEO would be asking about return on investment at next week's board meeting. What can be inferred about the production manager?

Inferential reasoning from situational details. Facts: expensive equipment, manager confident it would work, six months later failure rate is 6x expected, problem unresolved, CEO will ask about ROI. Inference: the manager who championed the expensive equipment now faces a difficult situation answering for its underperformance. Distractor analysis: 'excellent decision' contradicted by poor results; 'fired' — passage doesn't indicate this, just hints at coming accountability; 'on vacation' — no support, and would be improbable given the situation. Strong inferences are: (1) supported by multiple details in the passage; (2) most reasonable interpretation of the facts; (3) consistent with all the information. Weak inferences are speculation beyond the text. ASVAB PC inference questions test reading skills, not creative interpretation — the answer should be a conclusion any careful reader would draw.