manalq8 wrote:
As a result of consumers’ increased awareness of the health risks associated with heavy consumption of red meat, the meat of the ostrich has become increasingly popular as a low-fat, low cholesterol alternative to beef. Accordingly, the number of ostrich farms in the United States has nearly quadrupled since 1980, flooding markets with ostrich products. However, the price-per pound of ostrich meat, adjusted for inflation, has not decreased at all over the past several years.
Which of the following, if true, would best explain the steady price-per-pound of ostrich meat?
A. The demand for ostrich products has outpaced the supply.
B. Ostriches are especially difficult to breed in captivity.
C. Other types of meat, such as pork and poultry, have decreased in price over the past several years.
D. Purveyors of beef have not attempted to counter beef’s poor public image.
E. The number of supermarkets that carry ostrich meat has increased steadily since 1980.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
The passage states that the price-per-pound of ostrich meat has not decreased even though the supply of the meat has been abundant. We are asked to find an explanation for this seeming contradiction.
(A) CORRECT. If the demand has outpaced the supply, even if the supply is abundant, it is likely that the price will remain steady, at the very least.
(B) The difficulty of breeding ostriches is not relevant to the market price, given that the supply of the meat is abundant.
(C) If other types of meat have decreased in price, one might expect that ostrich meat would decrease as well to remain competitive.
(D) The lack of effort of the part of the beef industry to counter beef's poor image does not speak to the issue of why the price of ostrich meat has remained steady despite an abundant supply.
(E) If ostrich meat becomes more readily available, one might expect that the price of the meat would decrease.