Scientist: All other things being equal, the intensity of heat increases as the distance from the heat source decreases. Knowing this, <b> most people conclude that the Earth's seasons are caused by the Earth's changing distance from the sun. </b> In other words, winter occurs when the Earth is far from the sun, and summer occurs when the earth is close to the sun. However, <b> we know that as North America experiences summer, South America experiences winter, even though the difference in the continents' distance to the sun is negligible </b>. Ttherefore, the earth's changing distance from the sun does not cause the seasons. In the argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles? ['The first describes a common belief that the scientist later deems to be ill conceived; the second is evidence against this belief.', "The first describes a commonly held belief that is contrary to the scientist's final conclusion; the second is evidence in support of this belief.", "The first is a statement presented in support of the scientist's final conclusion; the second is the scientist's conclusion.", 'The first describes a common belief that follows logically from the statement before it; the second is factual information that the scientist deems to be irrelevant to her argument.']