A certain mail-order company sells T-shirts, buttons, stickers, and cu

Question

A certain mail-order company sells T-shirts, buttons, stickers, and current and past issues of its magazine. Each order placed to the company consists of one or more items and, for each order, the company packages all of the items in the order together. Any employee who packages an order, packages the entirety of that order. Among the orders placed to the company today:

None includes both a T-shirt and a magazine. 
 All of those that include a past issue of the magazine also include the current issue of the magazine. 
 Most of those that include a magazine also include a sticker. 
 None of those that include a button also include a sticker.

Statement: For the orders placed to the company today, if one employee were to package all of the orders that include a ___ 1 ___, that employee would also package all of the orders that include a ___ 2 ___.

Select for 1 and for 2 the two different options that complete the statement so that it is most accurate based on the information provided. Make only two selections, one in each column.

ID: 700256

AnishPassi · Accepted Answer

Let me try to address it.

1. We're told:

So, can an order contain
a. only a past issue of the magazine?
No. Because all orders that include a past issue also include the current issue.

b. only a current issue of the magazine?
Yes. All orders that include a past issue will also include the current issue. But, an order with the current issue could be made without including a past issue.

Now, on to the statement.

First off, the statement is not:
 If an order includes ___1____, the order would also include ___2___.

The statement is not about an individual order. We need to figure out what else we can state about an employee who has packaged all of the orders that include a particular item (1).

Are the following orders valid? (For simplicity, I am going to ignore all the other items and focus only on magazines.)

Order 1: A past and the current issue of the magazine
Order 2: Only the current issue of the magazine
Order 3: Only a past issue of the magazine

Oder 1 is valid. An order can include both kinds of issues.
Order 2 is valid. An order can include only the current issue.
Order 3 is not valid. All orders that include a past issue will also include the current issue.

Now, say an employee were to package all orders that include a  past issue of the magazine .
Can we say that the employee would also package all orders that include  the current issue of the magazine ?

No.

E.g. an employee may package order 1 (past and current issues both). But a different employee may package order 2 (only current issue).

But, say an employee were to package all orders that include a  current issue of the magazine .
Can we say that the employee would also package all orders that include a  past issue of the magazine ?

Yes.

The orders that include a current issue of the magazine would be a superset of the orders that include a past issue of the magazine.

So, if an employee were to package all the current issue orders, the employee would also certainly package all the past issue orders.

Put another way, if an employee were to package the superset, the employee would also certainly have packaged the subset.

Answer:
1: Current issue of the magazine
2: Past issue of the magazine

chetan2u · Answer

A certain mail-order company sells T-shirts, buttons, stickers, and current and past issues of its magazine. Each order placed to the company consists of one or more items and, for each order, the company packages all of the items in the order together. Any employee who packages an order, packages the entirety of that order. Among the orders placed to the company today:

None includes both a T-shirt and a magazine.
All of those that include a past issue of the magazine also include the current issue of the magazine.
Most of those that include a magazine also include a sticker.
None of those that include a button also include a sticker.

There are FIVE items and following conditions/restrictions are given
a) T-shirt and a magazine are not together.
It could give us a statement: If MAGAZINE is a part of the package, then T-shirt will not be a part 
b) If a past issue of magazine, then current issue also. ( It tells us: If  past issue , then  current issue , or the statement could also be If  current issue  is not there, then  past issue  will also be not there)
c) Most with magazine also have a sticker.( Nothing concrete)
d) None of those that include a button also include a sticker. ( If button, then sticker is not there)

Statement: For the orders placed to the company today, if one employee were to package all of the orders that include a ___1___, that employee would also package all of the orders that include a ___2___.
It can be rewritten as: If 2, then 1.
This is nothing but rewording of point b above...
If order includes past issue, then it will also include current issue.  Vice versa need not be true. If A then B not necessarily means If B then A. The other inference is: If not B, then not A.  
1. Current issue
2. Past issue

Edit:-
A video solution with concepts on If x, then y.'
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyBlfUcRrgo

KarishmaB · Answer

Video solution to the question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9i-MmJE8Jg

chetan2u · Answer

H  AvikSaha 
At times we tend to miss out finer point in a hurry.

To avoid this mistake, I feel VennDiagrams are the best and I’ll edit and add a video so that it becomes even clearer.

Statement: For the orders placed to the company today, if one employee were to package all of the orders that include a ___1___, that employee would also package all of the orders that include a ___2___.
 The employee is packaging 1, and this is leading to all 2 also getting packed 
This means 2 is a part of 1 and this changed in If-then becomes 
If 2, then 1.

When we compare it with: If past issues, then current issue. 
1. Current issue
2. Past issue

Dwadesh72 · Answer

This is Tricky. 
The second statement about the orders placed today implies that -All of those that include a past issue of the magazine also include the current issue of the magazine.

Then why cant we say that if an employee were to package all the orders containing a past issue of the magazine, then the employee would also package all the orders containing the current issue of the magazine ?

It is mentioned that a past issue will surely contain a current Issue.
 KarishmaB   chetan2u   ScottTargetTestPrep   MartyMurray   GMATNinja   GMATWhizTeam

KarishmaB · Answer

Consider this: What if someone had ordered only the current issue? Will they get the past issue too? No. There could be people who ordered only current issue and get only that. Those who ordered past issues, all ordered current issue too. So can we switch the order to "past issue" and then "current issue"? No. Your "past issue" is a subset of "current issues" so you must include all current issues to ensure that all past issues are included. Check this video in which I discuss this point in detail using one of my own questions: https://youtu.be/O-iV8Vv4svY

KarishmaB · Answer

Consider the statement with blanks: For the orders placed to the company today, if one employee were to package all of the orders that include a ___ 1 ___ , that employee would also package all of the orders that include a ___ 2 ___ . We need a definitve answer for two things that will go together. Hence we focus on: All of those that include a past issue of the magazine also include the current issue of the magazine. This tells us that if past issues are included, so is the current issue. This means that "past issues" are a subset in the set of orders that had "current issue". Some people may have ordered just the current issue. But those that ordered the past issues, had ordered the current issue too. So past issues circle is inside the current issue circle. So if an employee packs all order that include a current issue, authomatically he packed all orders that include a past issue too (since past issue is a subset of current issue) But if an employee packed all orders with past issues, does it mean he packed all orders that carried a current issue? No. As we discussed, there may be some orders that had just the current issue. Past issues are not necessary in that order. ANSWER: 1 - current issue, 2. Past issues Check this post for a discussion on two part analysis and another such question: https://youtu.be/O-iV8Vv4svY

shyam0701 · Answer

better explanation than the OG explanation!

zoezhuyan · Answer

hi @  KarishmaB  
all above , i can 100% get it.
but the following , i am afraid i'm not.
 
actual, i thought 
if include current issue, it possibly includes other subset of current issue, that means not past issue.

like this
all squares are quadriliaterals. squares are subset of quadriliaterals.
if it is a square, then it must be quadriliateral
but 
if it is a quadriliateral, it maybe rectangle, another subset of quadrilateral.

please clarify further

thanks a lot

zoezhuyan · Answer

hi
 KarishmaB  and other experts
all above , i can 100% get it.
but the following , i am afraid i'm not.
So if an employee packs all order that include a current issue, authomatically he packed all orders that include a past issue too (since past issue is a subset of current issue)
actual, i thought??
if include current issue, it possibly includes other subset of current issue, that means not past issue.

like this
all squares are quadriliaterals. squares are subset of quadriliaterals.
if it is a square, then it must be quadriliateral
but
if it is a quadriliateral, it maybe rectangle, another subset of quadrilateral.

please clarify further

thanks a lot

zoezhuyan · Answer

hi  chetan2u 
I am afraid, I don't agree with your transformation from statement into Venn cycle. the statement says: if 1, then 2, so 1 is small cycle , 2 is bigger cycle. please clarify... thanks a lot

as regard to the if then, i got one video from tube of  GmatMania 
it also mentions that:

if 1 then 2, we can get 1 is smaller cycle and 2 is a bigger cycle

appreciate your further explanation.

chetan2u · Answer

Hi,

If A then B has only possibility in Venn as A being completely within B.

If it is Sunday(smaller circle) then it is a holiday(larger circle): This would mean all sundays will be holidays, but   there can be holidays that need not be on Sundays.   
The   colored portion   above relates to the space that is in larger circle but not in smaller circle.

zoezhuyan · Answer

hi  @ chetan2u 
Statement: For the orders placed to the company today,  if one employee were to package all of the orders that include a ___1___,   that employee would also package all of the orders that include a ___2___.

so the blue part is completely within the grape part, am i right?
in other word, choise 1 is smaller cycle, which is completely within choice 2 , did i miss it?

so shouldn't the correct answer 1= past issues, 2 = currect issues ?

chetan2u · Answer

zoezhuyan

First point about the orders: All of those that include a past issue of the magazine also include the current issue of the magazine.
If an order contains past issue then the order also contains current issue. So past issue is part of current issue.

Now point about the statement: The statement talks of packing now. It is not about the order from customers. So, which circle should the employee package, to ensure other is part of it. The employee, therefore, should pack the bigger circle or current issue, so that the smaller circle too should get packed. Thus 1 becomes past and 2 current.

Dbrunik · Answer

i had this backwards, putting for 1, past issue, and for 2, current issue.

how do you know that you cant just purchase the current issue of the magazine on its own? if this was the case, then wouldnt that imply that you could get the current issue without the last issue? the statement just says that "All of those that include a past issue of the magazine also include the current issue of the magainze". this shouldnt imply that if a box contains the current issue, that it must automatically include the past issue.

all past contain current, but not all current include past?

msaree1 · Answer

Was having a similar confusion and here is my take on why it is 1. Current issue, 2. Past Issue

The CI will be the bigger circle and the PI will be a subset, i think that part is established. Now if the statement said the below - 
For the orders placed to the company today,  if one employee were to package all of the orders that include a ___1___, 
  those orders would also have a __2___,

then we would have the answer 1 = P.I and 2 = C.I.

but the language in the statement is tricky and different in a way that it says 
For the orders placed to the company today,  if one employee were to package all of the orders that include a ___1___,   that employee would also package  all of the orders  that include a ___2___.

Here if employee packs  all  CIs he would also pack PIs cause PI is a subset of  all  CI orders

chetan2u  and  KarishmaB  - please let me know if i missed anything or my understanding is flawed in anyway

bumpbot · Answer

Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

A certain mail-order company sells T-shirts, buttons, stickers, and cu

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

1	2
		Button
		Current issue of the magazine
		Past issue of the magazine
		Sticker
		T-shirt

GMAT Two-part Analysis (TPA) Questions

A certain mail-order company sells T-shirts, buttons, stickers, and cu

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards