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GMAT Club World Cup 2026 (Day 10): In response to an alarming increase

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Reon

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18 Jul 2026, 07:06

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Airport commission posted notices informing travellers of recent spate of thefts and to beware of pickpockets. However, after notices were posted frequency of thefts grew fasted than before.

A. It doesn’t explain the discrepancy.
B. Irrelevant
C. If police regular patrols at airport, then thefts should have decreased.
D. If people physically look or grope their valuables items after reading the notice. It becomes more easy for pickpockets to locate the valuables. This explains the discrepancy. CORRECT
E. This should have saved their valuables. Wrong

D

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(A) (B) (C) Irrelevant to the paradox

(D) explains it as the tendency of people to look for security is what helped picket pocketers to easily find

(E) does reverse. As hiding bekts is not easily accessible- does not explain

(D) is the answer

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18 Jul 2026, 07:25

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A Not understanding the notices does not explain why thefts accelerated afterward.

B The popularity of the city as a shopping destination is unrelated to the effect of the warning signs.

C Police patrols would likely have the opposite effect on pickpocketing.

D Correct answer. By checking their pockets or bags, travelers unintentionally show pickpockets where their valuables are.

E Hiding valuables under clothing would reduce opportunities for pickpockets.

The answer is D

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18 Jul 2026, 07:29

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The notices warned people about pickpockets, yet thefts increased even faster

a Some people can't read the signs. Doesn't explain why thefts increased

b More shopping means more valuables, but this trend existed for years and doesn't explain the increase after the notices

c More police should reduce thefts, not increase them

d When people are warned about pickpockets, they instinctively touch or pat the pocket or bag holding their valuables. Pickpockets can watch this and immediately know where the valuables are. This directly explains why thefts increased after the notices.

e. Hidden belt packs should reduce thefts, not increase

Ans: d

Bunuel

In response to an alarming increase in the frequency of thefts by pickpockets at Karlarinda’s main airport over the preceding year, Karlarinda’s airport commission posted several large brightly-colored notices in the airport’s most prominent public areas, informing travelers of the recent spate of thefts and warning them to beware of pickpockets. In the months after these notices were posted, the frequency of pickpocketing thefts at Karlarinda’s main airport grew at an even faster rate than before the notices were posted.

Which of the following, if true, best explains the observed statistical effect of the notices posted by Karlarinda’s airport commission?

(A) Approximately 40 percent of passengers who fly into or out of Karlarinda’s main airport are unable to read any of the languages in which the notices are written.

(B) In the seven years since it abolished all sales taxes on purchases made by non-residents, Karlarinda has become one of the world’s premier luxury shopping destinations.

(C) The local police department began regular patrols of the public areas of Karlarinda’s main airport on the day when the warning notices were posted.

(D) The tendency of people to physically look or grope for the presence of valuable belongings when they perceive a threat of robbery is widespread across all cultures and demographic groups.

(E) Upon seeing the notices, many travelers purchased belt packs from the airport’s kiosks that are large enough to hold most valuables and that are worn under the traveler’s clothing.

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A- Incorrect. Passengers being able or unable to read signs has no bearing on why frequency of theft increased.

B- Incorrect. Irrelevant to the conclusion

C- Incorrect. If anything, this should decrease the thefts as there is more scrutiny.

D- Correct. By searching and rummaging for valuables, people can bring more attention to where these are kept hence making it easier for pickpockets to steal

E- Incorrect. If anything, this should decrease instances of theft as valuables are better protected

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18 Jul 2026, 07:36

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The question mentions about the frequency of thefts at Karlarinda's airport wherein the number of thefts increased after the aiport authority came up with warning notices regarding the same.

We are required to find the reason for increase in theft incidences

Option A - This only mentions the reason as to why the notices might not work but does not provide reason for theft increase and hence is incorrect
Option B - This only mentions that people are buying luxury goods since seven years and hence does not mention about the sudden increase in theft. It is false
Option C - This only mentions that local police have increased their patrolling - this should reduce the thefts - and not increase it- accordingly this is wrong
Option D - This is correct as it mentions that people look at their valuables when they read such warning notices - this in turns help the thieves since they observe where the valuables are kept and hence can rob easily. This leads to increased theft incidences
Option E - This option is not correct as it mentions that people start wearing the valuables below their clothing and this should reduce the theft incidences but it is not the case and hence false option

Correct answer is Option D

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18 Jul 2026, 07:38

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Regardless of all the bright colored notices, cases of theft has increased faster than ever before. Why?

A.)Less than half of the passengers can't read warnings about theft because of language barrier. It does not mean that theft cases should increase. Before the bright colored notices there were no such notice so no one to read them yet now 60% can read but number of cases increased (Not explains)
B.)Becoming luxury shopping destination does not explain rapid increase. Of course monetary value of stolen goods may increase but not numbers of cases (Not explains)
C.)Police patrols has to decrease the number of cases (Not explains)
D.)If people check their belongings physically, thieves may notice them and target them thus it may increase the number of theft cases (explains)
E.)With belt packs worn under clothing, it is ought to become harder for thieves to steal thus it may actually decrease the number of theft cases (Not explains)
Ans. D
IMO

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A. Irrelevant because even if 40% cant read the sign, the remaining 60% who are able to read the sign would cause a decrease in the pickpocketing by being alert.
B. Irrelevant as this doesent really tell why there was an increase in pickpocketing after the notice went up. It just states why theft and pickpocketing is more popular in the area
C. Irrelevant as an increase in police patrols in the area would decrease thefts and pickpocketing
D. Relevant as this tells why the notice is causing a spike in theft incidents. Upon seeing the notice, the travellers reveal the location of their valuables which in turn removes the guessing aspect for the pickpocketers and makes their job easier
E. Irrelevant as hidden belt packs would reduce pickpocketing rather than increase it

D.

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A At most, this limits the notices' effectiveness. It does not explain the higher theft rate.

B This does not account for why thefts increased more rapidly after the signs were posted.

C If anything, regular patrols should have helped prevent thefts.

D Best option. The notices cause many travelers to reveal the location of their valuables without realizing it.

E Belt packs worn under clothing would make stealing valuables more difficult, not easier.

The correct answer is D

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Bunuel

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A. Some people who are traveling cannot read the notices that are posted. This tells us that the notices might not be helpful. It does not tell us why the number of thefts is going up so fast.

B. When people do luxury shopping they usually have more valuable things with them. However this does not really explain why the number of thefts is increasing much and it does not have anything to do with the notices.

C. If the police are patrolling the area you would think that this would help reduce the number of thefts, which makes the result more surprising.

D. This is correct. When people see a warning they usually check their wallets or their phones or their other valuable things to make sure they are still there. The luxury shopping notices and the police patrols and the travelers and the thefts are all connected. The notices and the police patrols are not helping to reduce the number of thefts. When people do this they are actually showing the thieves where their valuable things are. This makes it easier for the thieves to find their targets, which's why the number of thefts is going up.

E. If people use hidden belt packs to carry their things it would be much harder for thieves to steal from them not easier.

Option D in my opinion is correct.

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18 Jul 2026, 07:51

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Let's test the answer choices with whether the theft increased or not.

(A) It does not say whether theft increased due to the passengers' inability to read the signs. Incorrect.
(B) Luxury shopping destinations are risky places for theft. However, since the notices have been posted, people were much alert. That means, there will have a low chnace of increased theft. Not correct.
(C) Since patrols are there, theft can be reduced. Therefore, it cannot help the statistical effect. Incorrect.
(D) When there is a sign posted to keep safe your valuable belongings, people tend to check physcially by touching those areas help pickpocketing theft larger by understanding where are the valuable belongings are. Bingo! Answer.
(E) It is the opposite as hiddle belt can easily reduce theft. Eliminate.

THE ANSWER is D!

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18 Jul 2026, 07:54

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IMO Ans is D.
ASK is for paradox after posting notice why pickpockets theft increased?
A - if no one read it should be same not increase so WRONG
B - 7 year luxaury so now why it will increase? SO NO once agian
C - Police more then less why more so nO once again
E - if under cloth and more security then why more thefy so NO once again

D - General nature of people when u say NO they will do more the same way D option says human do more theft after seeing notice.
I maybe wrong D option is less simple to understand also
Thanks!

Bunuel

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A. If 40% can't read the notices, the warnings may be less effective, but this doesn't explain why thefts increased.

B. More luxury shopping means more valuables, but it doesn't connect the increase to the notices.

C. Police patrols should make theft harder, not easier.

D. Correct. When people see a warning about theft, many instinctively touch or check their wallet, phone, or purse. This tells pickpockets exactly where valuables are located, making targets easier to identify.

E. Hidden belt packs would make theft more difficult, so this would tend to reduce theft.

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18 Jul 2026, 08:00

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This one requires us to explain the paradox. Pre-thinking: We need to see what are the factors that led the increase in spate of pickpocketing at the Airport despite increased signage as regards the same. Therefore, the signage prompted a reaction out of people conducive to the pickpocketers which they could then exploit.

Options:
A - If 40% of people can't read or make out what the sign says, then the signs haven't prompted a reaction conducive to them. Hence this doesn't give a real correlation.
B - Irrelevant. We are not concerned with if it is a luxury shopping destination.
C - If the local police increased their patrols, then pickpocketing should be less. But it's more. It's the opposite of the paradox.
D - CORRECT. This clearly demonstrates the link between the signage and the reaction prompted from the said signage and the pickpocketers' increased success. If people grope for their valuables when they see the sign, this is a clue to the observant pick pocketers, which means the signs do the exact opposite of what they were installed for.
E - This doesn't help resolve the paradox. This shows the signages are working as intended and if the belt packs are below the travellers' clothes, then this reduces the chances of pickpocketing.

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18 Jul 2026, 23:25

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The right option is D.
As in option A, the stats of 40% are not where mentioned
And option B C E are wrong

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27 Jul 2026, 23:13

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In this question stem:

Fact 1: Airport Commission posted notices to inform passengers about a spate of thefts

Fact 2: After Posting Notices around the airport, Theft increases at an even faster rate.

Paradox: After posting notices, theft increases at a faster rate. If we pre-think to resolve this paradox, pickpocketers were able to recognise more easily which bag contained valuable items after the notice, as people started becoming more physically alert towards their valuable belongings.

Let's look at options and always look to eliminate after prethinking:

(A) This option does not resolve Fact 2 or is unable to explain the increase in theft. Eliminate this

(B) This option is further deepening the paradox, and is not able to explain the sudden increase in theft over the preceding year; for this option, the timeline is seven years, which is not relevant to paradox.

(C) If this were the case, thefts would not have increased, so this option further deepens the paradox or not able to reslove the paradox. Eliminate this

(D) This clearly explains both the facts that after posting notice, people started becoming more alert, which made it easier for pickpocketers to recognise their valuable belongings because of their cheeky attention to their valuable belongings which explains the increase in thefts at a greater rate. Keep this as a CONTENDER.

(E) This options further deepens the paradox and explains the one side of the paradox. Elimiate

Hence the answer is OPTION D

Bunuel

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