A parking garage charges $5.50 to park for 4 hours and $7.75 to park for 7 hours. If the cost is a linear function of the number of hours parked, what is the cost to park for 3 hours?

From 4 to 7 hours, the cost rises by $7.75 − $5.50 = $2.25 over 3 hours, so the rate is $0.75 per hour. Three hours is one hour less than 4 hours, so the cost is $5.50 − $0.75 = $4.75, choice D.

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