1) Which of the following best describes the purpose of the highlight sentence?
A) To Show that economic signaling theory fails to explain a finding
B) To introduce a distinction not accounted for by economic signaling theory
C) To account for an exception to a generalization suggested by Marquardt and McGann
D) To explain why Marquardt and McGann's research was conducted
E) To offer an explanation for an observation reported by Marquardt and McGann
From the lines - "Marquardt and McGann found that heavily advertised products did indeed rank high on certain measures of product quality. Because"
we know that the highlighted portion explains the observation by M&M.
IMO, E should be the answer.
2) The primary purpose of the passage is to
A) present findings that contradict one explanation for the effects of a particular advertising practice
<this is done only in the second paragraph, not a primary purpose of the passage as a whole - incorrect >
B) argue that theoretical explanations about the effects of a particular advertising practice are of limited value without empirical evidence
<it has nowhere mentioned or implied - incorrect >
C) discuss how and why particular advertising practices may affect consumers' perceptions
<seems correct >
D) contrast the research methods used in two different studies of a particular advertising practice
<research methods are nowhere contrasted - out of scope - incorrect >
E) explain why a finding about consumer responses to a particular advertising practice was unexpected
<passage presents different findings by few researchers ; there are more than one practices - incorrect >
3) Kirmani's research, as described in the passage, suggests which of the following regarding consumers' expectations about the quality of advertised products?
A) Those expectations are likely to be highest if a manufacturer runs both black-and-white and color advertisements for the same product.
<highest - out of scope - incorrect >
B) Those expectations can be shaped by the presence of color in an advertisement as well as by the frequency with which an advertisement appears.
<Seems correct with reference to the lines "advertising effort may be perceived as unreasonably high, implying low manufacturer confidence in product quality. If consumers perceive excessive advertising effort as a sign of a manufacturer's desperation, the result may be less favorable brand perceptions" >
C) Those expectations are usually high for frequently advertised new brands but not for frequently advertised familiar brands.
<no such comparison has been made - incorrect >
D) Those expectations are likely to be higher for products whose black-and-white advertisements are often repeated than for those whose color advertisements are less often repeated.
<wrong comparison - incorrect >
E) Those expectations are less definitively shaped by the manufacturer's advertisements than by information that consumers gather from other sources.
<polar opposite - "other sources" - out of scope - incorrect>
4) Kirmani's third study, as described in the passage, suggests which of the following conclusions about a black-and-white advertisement?
A) It can be repeated more frequently than a comparable color advertisement could before consumers begin to suspect low manufacturer confidence in the quality of the advertised product.
<Seems correct by referring the lines mentioned in the last paragraph - correct>
B) It will have the greatest impact on consumers' perceptions of the quality of the advertised product if it appears during periods when a color version of the same advertisement is also being used.
<"greatest impact" nowhere mentioned - incorrect >
C) It will attract more attention from readers of the print publication in which it appears if it is used only a few times.
<out of scope - "more attention from specific readers" -incorrect >
D) It may be perceived by some consumers as more expensive than a comparable color advertisement.
<wrong comparison - incorrect >
E) It is likely to be perceived by consumers as a sign of higher manufacturer confidence in the quality of the advertised product than a comparable color advertisement would be.
<frequency is the key differentiation not simply the color or B&W print - incorrect >
5) The passage suggests that Kirmani would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about consumers' perceptions of the relationship between the frequency with which a product is advertised and the product's quality?
A) Consumers' perceptions about the frequency with which an advertisement appears are their primary consideration when evaluating an advertisement's claims about product quality.
<"primary consideration" - out of scope - incorrect >
B) Because most consumers do not notice the frequency of advertisement, it has little impact on most consumers' expectations regarding product quality.
<out of scope - incorrect >
C) Consumers perceive frequency of advertisement as a signal about product quality only when the advertisement is for a product that is newly on the market.
<"new product" - out of scope - incorrect >
D) The frequency of advertisement is not always perceived by consumers to indicate that manufacturers are highly confident about their products' quality.
<Correct summary of the the combination of the two theories - correct >
E) Consumers who try a new product that has been frequently advertised are likely to perceive the advertisement's frequency as having been an accurate indicator of the product's quality.
<as per the passage - advertisement too often is negatively perceived, hence incorrect >
Please let me know your views where you think I have missed the point.
_________________
A lot needs to be learned from all of you.
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