Bunuel
It appears that the residents of Clarktown are becoming more and more health conscious these days. The sale of fitness equipment such as treadmills and cycling machines has increased by more than 300% in Clarktown over the last one year.
Which of the following, if true, casts the most serious doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
(A) Due to a change in the sales tax structure last year, fitness equipment costs up to 30% less in Clarktown than in its neighbouring towns.
(B) The sale of health magazines has increased appreciably in Clarktown over the past one year.
(C) Nutritionists in Clarktown have reported a sharp increase in the cases of obesity that have been reported in Clarktown over the past year.
(D) The range of fitness equipment available at Clarktown is very limited and some advanced machines are not available at all.
(E) Two athletes, both of whom won gold medals at the Olympics three years ago, are residents of Clarktown.
Official Explanation
Answer: A
The argument assumes that most of the increase in sales of fitness equipment is on account of residents of Clarktown buying these. ‘A’ weakens the argument by suggesting that, because the prices of fitness equipment in Clarktown are now lower; residents from the neighbouring towns might be the cause for this rapid increase in sales in the last one year. Thus, the residents of Clarktown may not have been becoming more and more health conscious.
(A) The correct answer.(B) There could be several reasons for this. In any case, this is not connected to the evidence used in the argument.
(C) Again, this does not explain the 300% increase in the sales of fitness equipment.
(D) Irrelevant data.
(E) The athletes won the gold medal three years ago so why has the impact been felt only in the last year?