Official Explanation
1) The author implies what about the future of pay-per-performance advertising?
Difficulty Level: 600
Explanation
The central theme of the passage is that the Internet is evolving rapidly and current advertising mediums will eventually be replaced (albeit not completely) by new mediums. Just after mentioning pay-per-performance advertising, the author concludes by saying "As the pace of the Internet’s evolution increases, it seems all the more likely that advertising successfully on the Internet will require a strategy that shuns constancy and embraces change."
A. There is no mention of click-fraud applying to pay-per-performance advertising. Since click-fraud does not apply to all online advertising methods and no description of pay-per-performance advertising is given, it is not possible to infer that click-fraud applies to pay-per-performance advertising.
B. The passage never asserts that Internet ad strategies become "extinct." Rather it asserts that they dwindle in popularity as Internet users adapt and the ad strategies become less effective.
C. Developing software to block ads referred to the problem with pop-up and banner advertisements. The article never implied that this problem existed with all Internet advertising strategies.
D. Since the main point of the article is that the Internet evolves and online advertising strategies change, it is reasonable to conclude that pay-per-performance advertising will have a similar fate as the other advertising strategies mentioned in the passage: declining popularity over time.
E. Nothing in the passage supports the idea that an online advertising strategy will remain popular indefinitely even as the Internet evolves rapidly—this contradicts the main point of the passage.
ANSWER: D
2) Which of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?
Difficulty Level: 600
Explanation
A main idea runs throughout the entire passage. Consequently, an idea that appears in one paragraph only to disappear in another is not the main idea. In this passage, the first paragraph introduces the main theme and the remaining paragraphs develop it by providing examples. In many ways, the last sentence of the first paragraph serves as a thesis statement indicating the main thrust of the article ("the differing dynamics of the Internet pose unique challenges to advertisers, forcing them to adapt their practices and techniques on a regular basis.")
A. While the passage does make these statements about pay-per-click advertising, the passage only discusses pay-per-click advertising in one paragraph. This answer represents an example that the author uses to further the main point of the passage. But, it is not the main point itself.
B. Although the changing of Internet marketing strategies is a constant theme, nowhere does the article focus as its main point on the efforts of independent programmers. Instead, the passage focuses on the efforts of advertisers to adapt to changes. Moreover, this answer fails to make sense of the introduction and conclusion.
C. Although this statement is true, it is far too broad. The central theme of the passage (given in the sentence "forcing them to adapt their practices and techniques on a regular basis") is not reflected in this answer, which omits any reference to marketing and advertising strategies.
D. This statement encapsulates the author’s point in each paragraph: the evolution of the Internet is forcing advertisers to change their strategies rapidly. The phrase "unlike the television" ties into the introductory point.
E. The article does not discuss at great length the speed at which the Internet is evolving. It simply notes that the Internet is evolving. Moreover, this answer omits any reference to advertising, which plays a central role in the piece.
ANSWER: D
3) According to the passage, which of the following best describes the current status of pop-up ads?
Difficulty Level: 600
Explanation
The crucial sentence in the passage is: "Although banner and pop-up ads still exist, they are far less prominent than during the early days of the Internet."
A. There is no support for this in the passage. It is implicitly contradicted by the words "far less prominent."
B. This answer reflects the statement in the passage.
C. Pay-per-click advertising is a target of "click fraud," not banner ads, which suffered from blocking programs.
D. The passage states that pop-ups "still exist."
E. The passage states that pay-per-click advertising—not pop-ups—is more popular due to search engines.
ANSWER: B
4) According to the passage, which of the following best describes the practice of click fraud?
Difficulty Level: 500
Explanation
The pertinent sentence from the passage is: "pay-per-click ads came with their drawbacks. When companies began pouring billions of dollars into this emerging medium, online advertising specialists started to notice the presence of what would later be called “click fraud”: representatives of a company with no interest in the product a competitor advertised clicked on the competitor's ads simply to increase the marketing cost of the competitor."
A. Click-fraud pertains to pay-per-click advertising, not banner advertising.
B. This answer describes pop-up blockers, not click fraud.
C. Click-fraud pertains to pay-per-click advertising, not search engine optimization.
D. There is no mention in the article of this practice.
E. This matches the description of click-fraud in the passage.
ANSWER: E
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