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24 Apr 2025, 00:30
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Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
15%
(low)
Question Stats:
84% (01:23) correct
16%
(01:43)
wrong
based on 103
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Consumer: The problem with bottled spring water is that it is no more healthy than well-filtered tap water, and many companies produce effective water filtration systems for home use. Further, the price of a 16 ounce bottle of water is, on average, over ten times that of the same amount of water run through a home filtration system. Thus, most bottled spring water producers will soon go out of business.
Which of the following, if true, most severely weakens the argument presented above?
(A) Several of the companies who bottle and sell spring water have gone out of business during the past five years.
(B) Because of the inherent costs associated with the bottling and transport, most bottled spring water suppliers are unable to reduce the wholesale prices they must charge for bottled spring water.
(C) Most consumers who regularly purchase bottled spring water base their beverage purchase decisions exclusively on preference for taste.
(D) Some people prefer the taste of tap water to that of bottled spring water.
(E) Because of technological advances and growing demand, home-based water filtration systems are more effective and more commonly available than they had been when bottled spring water was first widely distributed.
Which of the following, if true, most severely weakens the argument presented above?
(A) Several of the companies who bottle and sell spring water have gone out of business during the past five years.
(B) Because of the inherent costs associated with the bottling and transport, most bottled spring water suppliers are unable to reduce the wholesale prices they must charge for bottled spring water.
(C) Most consumers who regularly purchase bottled spring water base their beverage purchase decisions exclusively on preference for taste.
(D) Some people prefer the taste of tap water to that of bottled spring water.
(E) Because of technological advances and growing demand, home-based water filtration systems are more effective and more commonly available than they had been when bottled spring water was first widely distributed.
24 Apr 2025, 03:55
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The consumer argues:
- Bottled spring water isn’t healthier than filtered tap water.
- It’s over 10x more expensive.
- So, most bottled spring water producers will go out of business.
Bunuel
04 May 2025, 16:00
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Bunuel
Official Explanation
Answer choice (A):This Opposite answer choice can be quickly ruled out, because if many such companies had gone out of business in recent years, this would not weaken the author’s argument; instead this choice actually lends strength to the conclusion.
Answer choice (B): This choice would also strengthen the author’s argument. If the bottled water companies are unable to lower their wholesale prices, this makes it more likely that the gap in price between bottled water and home-filtered water will remain. So this choice, which bolsters the conclusion from the stimulus, cannot be the correct answer.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice, and the one which points to a previously unreferenced basis for consumer preference—that of taste. If consumers base such purchases on taste alone, then the margin in cost is not likely to sway them toward home-filtration. Note also how the argument avoids a discussion of taste; the stimulus simply references the fact that bottled water is no more “healthy” than well-filtered tap water.
Answer choice (D): To begin with, the word “some” is very vague, and of no value in this instance. “Some” can be defined as one or more, so this choice basically provides that there is at least one person who prefers tap water. Further, this information plays no role in the author’s argument, which deals with bottled water vs home-filtered tap water; plain tap water falls into neither category.
Answer choice (E): Like many (but not all) incorrect responses to Weaken questions, this choice actually strengthens the author’s conclusion. The more effective and readily available the home-filtration systems are, the stronger the assertion that they will hurt the bottled water industry.
