In 1977, an international tobacco industry trade group, including repr

Question

In 1977, an international tobacco industry trade group, including representatives of all major cigarette companies, noted in a document on the social acceptability of smoking that “cigarette smoking is becoming a downscale social activity.” As the disease effects of smoking became better understood, more affluent and educated people were the most likely to quit. Cigarette companies thus increasingly marketed toward lower-income, less educated, and minority segments of the U.S. population. A marketing study done for R.J. Reynolds (RJR) noted in a downscale market profile that this demographic was “more impressionable to marketing/advertising . . . they’re more susceptible. They’re less formed intellectually . . . more malleable.”

In addition to general marketing efforts directed toward downscale consumers, by the early 1990s the homeless had become one of the sub-populations specifically targeted by major cigarette companies. For example, RJR included direct targeting to the homeless as part of an urban marketing plan in the 1990s, focused on the advertising of “value” brands to “street people.” In 1990, American Tobacco paid for product placement and supplied cigarettes for the movie Robocop 3, which showed homeless activists smoking Pall Malls and Lucky Strikes. In addition to advertising, tobacco companies gave away cigarette brand logo products to the homeless; for example, in 1994 Philip Morris (PM) apparently distributed 7,000 Merit cigarette brand labeled blankets to New York homeless shelters and homeless individuals. By the late 1990s, the ties between homelessness and smoking had grown so overt that a major marketing periodical characterized the target market of Brown and Williamson’s GPC brand as “Homeless Man.”

Offering free samples is a well-established strategy by which tobacco companies recruit new smokers, and cigarette samples were distributed to homeless shelters, mental hospitals, and homeless service organizations. In 1988 alone, Lorillard Tobacco Company spent over $570,000 on cigarette donations, though not all of these were distributed to marginalized populations. Internal company documents show that in a single month in 1990, however, Lorillard distributed over 100 sample packs apiece to a homeless shelter, a soup kitchen, and a mental health association. Similar donations were logged regularly from 1983 to at least 1993.    1 
 1. According to the passage, what other demographics will likely be targeted by the tobacco industry?

a. senior citizens 
b. adolescent children 
c. the homeless 
d. the affluent 
e. actors

2 
 2. The author implies that the motivation of RJR to distribute Merit cigarette brand labeled blankets to homeless shelters in New York City was to

a. elevate public opinion of the tobacco industry. 
b. give back to the community it was receiving business from. 
c. illustrate compassion for humanitarian concerns in the face of scrutiny from the medical field. 
d. target homeless people as a marketing strategy. 
e. achieve recognition as a charitable organization.

3 
 3. Taken in context with the passage, malleable most nearly means:

a. breakable 
b. refractory 
c. pliable 
d. malicious 
e. intractable

4 
 4. Which of the following best represents the main idea of the passage?

a. The tobacco industry gives out free cigarettes to the less fortunate population in an effort to stimulate more popularity among them. 
b. As the awareness of the ill effects of cigarettes increases, the affluent and more educated start stubbing out their cigarettes. 
c. The homeless and other downscale consumers became a main target for tobacco marketing. 
d. Merit, Pall Mall, and Lucky Strike are the most popular cigarettes within the homeless demographic of cigarette smokers. 
e. R.J. Reynolds is a despicable company that lacks both tact and shame in its approach to selling cigarettes.

5 
 5. Which of the following best describes the author’s tone?

a. poignant objectivity 
b. critical and informative 
c. impartial and somber 
d. restrained scorn 
e. cold anger

6 
 6. Based on the information in the passage, which of the following is the author most likely to be affiliated with?

a. R.J. Reynolds 
b. New York City homeless shelters 
c. an antismoking campaign 
d. the board of health 
e. a homeless activist group

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 263 Date: 01-Jul-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

Nirmesh83 · Answer

1. b
2.d
3.c
4.c
5.b
6.e

Fairly easy paragraph.

GREAccount · Answer

but the answer for the last question is given as option c .Even I have marked it as option e , if u understand why option c is correct ,please let me know.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

6. Based on the information in the passage, which of the following is the author most likely to be affiliated with?

Explanation

The author is bringing to light the unethical tactics of the tobacco industry, making an anti-tobacco movement the most likely of all the answers.

The answer would not be  choice a  as R.J. Reynolds is a tobacco company, and such crude evidence wouldn’t be offered from within.

Choice b  is a completely arbitrary choice. Although the author could be involved with the board of health, this passage concentrates on smoking rather than a full spectrum of health issues, making c rather than d the better choice. It is never implied that the author is in league with a homeless activist group, so choice e is incorrect.

Answer: C

anish0953 · Answer

The answer here is homeless , but the question asks other demographic group , so children should be the answer

gaurav135142 · Answer

In first question, It was asked what  other   demographics , Doesn't it mean apart from homeless people, what other people ??

manthaar · Answer

Can someone please explain #5? How is the author critical? I see the author being informative, but I'm unable to see the 'critical' part of it. To me, the passage seems very objective which is why I chose A.

akshaya1verma · Answer

Why the answer of question 4 is c, why not it's a?

akshaya1verma · Answer

No, I think there is a lot of criticism regarding how companies used homeless and mental people for their profit, that's why

abhijais · Answer

Can anybody please explain question 3 and 5

Posted from my mobile device

Nirman23 · Answer

can some one provide me the details regarding the  Ques no. 5  (why the ans is B and not A) and also  Ques no. 6  (why the ans is C and not B)

abhijais · Answer

Answer of 6.

Because here it is not clearly mentioned about author so we can keep the B in choice
 now in C the author is trying to show about the practices followed by companies as he can be from anti smoking it is not directly told but C is more promising 
In D we can keep in choice same as B lack of information

In 1977, an international tobacco industry trade group, including repr

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

In 1977, an international tobacco industry trade group, including repr

Prep Toolkit

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

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Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

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