Citing the fact that the real gross domestic product (RC)

[RonPurewal]

they are not 'slight nuances'.
it's important that you understand this: the differences between answer choices are NEVER 'slight' or 'nuances'.
never ever ever.

the correct answer will be correct, and the wrong answers will be... wrong.
black, white, white, white, white.

if you think there are 'nuances', then you are inventing complexity/difficulty that does not actually exist. that's not good.

--

choice B says 'contradict'. nothing is contradicting anything here—i.e., the cited statement certainly does not DISprove (= 'contradict') the claim.
so choice B is wrong.

[RonPurewal]

interestingly, if we see these choices...

B. show that a fact cited in support of a claim actually contradicts the claim
C. show that a fact cited in support of a claim does not prove the claim

...then B must be wrong—even if we don't have the text of the passage.

remember, there can be only ONE correct answer.

'contradicts' is MUCH stronger than 'does not prove'.
i.e.,
...if something 'contradicts' X, then, of course, it does not prove X.
...but not the other way around (there are plenty of things that 'do not prove' X, but don't contradict it either.)

e.g.,
Yesterday was Thursday.
This DISPROVES that 'today is Sunday.'

Yesterday was Thursday.
The sun is shining.
My name is Ron.
Each of these things FAILS TO PROVE that 'today is Sunday.'

i think you see my point: if B were true, then C would have to be true as well. thus B cannot be the correct answer.

[RonPurewal]

in other words, we have the same situation as this:

Blah blah blah xxxx [math statements] xxxx xxxx blah blah. Therefore we know that
(A) x is greater than 2.
(B) x is greater than 4.
(C) y is less than 2.
(D) y is less than 4.

here, it's impossible for B or C to be the correct answer. see if you understand why.