stem says that number of adults who smoke decresed but hte tobacco sales increased.

A. this just gives one side of hte expression and doesnt explain why the sales of tobacoo increased. this doesnt also tell if the total number of adults who stopped smoking decreased.
B, c, d - gives evidence that people are smoking
E - sales incresed because of exporting

A

Option A has a lot of flaws in itself.
Women smokers who begun this year is more than the men smokers who quit. This doesnt say that the number of adults who smoked this year is lesser/greater than earlier years. May be there a lot more men who started smoking this year compared to the woman smokers who quit etc etc.

Rest of the options say that even though adults smokers decreased, there are other factors for hte increase in sales.

Between A and E, A does not imply that sales have increased or that the number of adults smoking has increased. E atleast implies that sales have increased.

Since it does explain either of increase in tobacco sales or decrease in the number of adults I would go with A.

Hey All,

Plenty of people have taken this one, but no one has yet been comprehensive, so I thought I'd take a swing at it. This is an Explain the discrepancy question, so all you have to do is find the discrepancy.

Discrepancy: Adult smokers down, tobacco sales up.

A. During this year, the number of women who have begun to smoke is greater than the number of men who have quit smoking.
ANSWER: This actually makes the number of smoker go up, and doesn't address tobacco sales at all. This does not explain the discrepancy at all.

B. The number of teen-age children who have begun to smoke this year is greater than the number of adults who have quit smoking during the same period.
PROBLEM: This says that kids have taken up the adult slack. That would explain why there are now fewer adult smokers, but more sales altogether. This does explain the discrepancy.

C. During this year, the number of nonsmokers who have begun to use chewing tobacco or snuff is greater than the number of people who have quit smoking.
PROBLEM: This says that fewer people are smoking, but nonsmokers have begun using tobacco in other ways. That does explain the discrepancy.

D. The people who have continued to smoke consume more tobacco per person than they did in the past.
PROBLEM: This implies that even if fewer people smoked, they would buy more tobacco, so tobacco sales would be higher. That does explain the discrepancy.

E. More of the cigarettes made in the United States this year were exported to other countries than was the case last year.
PROBLEM: This is trickily worded, because the question stem says "In the United States this year, the total amount sold by tobacco-farmers has increased...". This doesn't necessitate that the tobacco is SOLD in the United States, only that companies in the United States are doing the selling (possibly to foreign countries). That means that even if fewer Americans smoke, sales could be up, because the tobacco is exported. This does explain the discrepancy.

Word up.

Hope that helps!
_________________

Tommy Wallach | Manhattan GMAT Instructor | San Francisco

Manhattan GMAT Discount | Manhattan GMAT Reviews

Hey Gurpreet,

Remember to read the question carefully. This isn't about what you can infer from the answer choices generally, just whether or not they can explain how sales can be up when smokers are down. Answer choice A actually shows the # of smokers increasing (more women starting then men quitting), which is the opposite of what we've been told. It doesn't explain why tobacco sales would be up either.

-tommy
_________________

Tommy Wallach | Manhattan GMAT Instructor | San Francisco

Manhattan GMAT Discount | Manhattan GMAT Reviews

Exactly Gurpreet,

If you look at my explanation, you'll see that every answer choice EXCEPT A can explain the discrepancy. Might I suggest you're not quite understanding the word "Except"? The way to read this question stem is like this: "Four of the five answer choices will explain the discrepancy, and one will not. Find the one that does not." What may be confusing you is that the correct answer is IRRELEVANT to the topic at hand. That happens with except questions. Consider this made up question:

Why is it so hot in this apartment?

All of the following explain the above question EXCEPT:

A) The heater is on.
B) My apartment is on fire.
C) I am wearing twenty-five sweatshirts and a lot of thermal underwear.
D) You are following me around with a hair dryer.
E) The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are on TV.

The correct answer here would be E, because it has NO connection to the conclusion, and thus is the requested EXCEPTION.

Hope that helps!

-t
_________________

Tommy Wallach | Manhattan GMAT Instructor | San Francisco

Manhattan GMAT Discount | Manhattan GMAT Reviews

Hi Tom,

I m still stuck somewhere.
According to my understanding we have to find an answer which will not be able to justify the simultaneous increase of sales and decrease of smoking adults...M i right?

Now in A, number of women who starting smoking is greater than number of men who quit. That means adult smoker's have increased but for sales we are not sure as women might not smoke as much as men do.
Thus this does not address the simultaneous increase of sales and decrease of adults.

The reason why I feel E is right is if USA is exporting it to other countries the sale could be up without giving any indication for the count of American adults.

Now if you check the option D, it also states no increase in adults and increase of sales. This should also be counted in except. Since I found D and E to be quite similar I went for A. As in both D and E sales is up and adults could increase decrease in E and is same in D.

Moreover ans E is able to justify that there is a possibility of having increase in sales and decrease in number of adults, but we have to find which cannot justify.
I dont know if I sound Dumb but I m quite confused.
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Wait a minute! I always said A. I only said E in my little silly explanation question! : )

-t
_________________

Tommy Wallach | Manhattan GMAT Instructor | San Francisco

Manhattan GMAT Discount | Manhattan GMAT Reviews

Hi Tom,

I would really appreciate your efforts in explaining it. Actually I thought you are saying its E.

If its A then this is clear to me.

Thanks +1
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IMO key to this question is to focus on the both "tobacco sales and decrease in the # adults". Option A leaves open the possibilty that # adults using tobacco might be up (as # women users has gone up comparably!), wheras Option E says even if fewer adults were to consume tobacco the sales would be up .. so A it is!
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