During the past three years of its present administration,

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During the past three years of its present administration, [#permalink]

11 Apr 2011, 12:37

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kamalkicks wrote:

1. During the past three years of its present administration, Country M's foreign trade account shows a surplus of three million U.S. dollars. The foreign trade account weighs the value of products exported against the value of products imported. A surplus shows a greater value of exports than imports. Since during the previous administration of Country M the foreign trade account showed an average surplus of 4.5 million U.S. dollars, we can safely conclude the policies of Country M's present administration have led to fewer exports.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?

A. Over the last three years Country M's economy has grown steadily.
B. Domestic sale of products made in Country M has risen steadily over the last three years.
C. The present administration of Country M has raised the tariffs on some imported goods.
D. The value per item of Country M's imports has risen gradually over the last three years.
E. In the past three years, the value of Country M's imports has tripled.

PLEASE GIVE REASONING --- WHY NOT D

IMO E .

Even though D is a solid contender, I didn't choose D for the reason that the value per item has risen gradually. We do not know if the number of items has reduced in the past three years. So, the best option would be to go for E, which clearly states that the total import value has risen by 3 times.

[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

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Re: During the past three years [#permalink]

11 Apr 2011, 13:48

E is pretty much the winner.
My reasoning is export - import = balance of trade. This amount can go down when the exports have decreased or when the imports have increased. So E is providing an alternate path to the conclusion. Hence it is a weakener

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Re: During the past three years [#permalink]

11 Apr 2011, 23:07

since the question asks which of the following would most weaken the argument, the answer should be E.
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Re: During the past three years [#permalink] 11 Apr 2011, 23:07

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