Pls review my response for AWA from Exam Pack 1
If this can help anyone, Ill be glad.
PS:
how-to-get-6-0-awa-my-guide-64327.html#p470475“Studies suggest that an average coffee drinker’s consumption of coffee increases with age, from age 10 through age 60. Even after age 60, coffee consumption remains high. The average cola drinker’s consumption of cola, however, declines with increasing age. Both of these trends have remained stable for the past 40 years. Given that the number of older adults will significantly increase as the population ages over the next 20 years, it follows that the demand for coffee will increase and the demand for cola will decrease during this period. We should, therefore, consider transferring our investments from Cola Loca to Early Bird Coffee.”
NON-CAT Version
The argument claims the average age of coffee consumers increases from 10 to 60 while the average age of cola consumers decreases based on past 40 years’ trend. In the next 20 years, the number of older adults will significantly increase raising a demand for coffee. Hence, the author concludes that investment in Cola Loca company should be transferred to Early Bird Coffee company. States in this way, the argument fails to mention several key factors of which it could be evaluated. The conclusion relies on assumptions, for which there is no clear evidence. Therefore, the argument is rather weak, unconvincing and has several flaws.
First, the argument readily assumes that number of older adults will significantly increase so the demand for coffee consumption will also increase in the next 20 years. This is stretch and not substantiated in any way. The author does not provide any logical basis on the prediction that older adults will outnumber the youngsters in the next 20 years. Population grows at different rates around the world where developed countries have larger number of older adults whereas the developing countries have larger number of youngsters and children. And the argument does not explicitly state where the supposed high coffee demand is predicted in. For example, Japan is one of the most advanced and developed countries which has a much larger percentage of older citizen while China is one of prime examples of fast developing countries which has a large number of young citizens. These population structure is to continue in the next decades in respective countries. Thus, it will be illogical to conclude that coffee demand will increase and the investment should be instead made into coffee company. Moreover, the author did not explicitly mention the main incentive for consumers to drink more coffee. Although the data from the last 40 years have stayed stable, the argument fails to include consumer shift from cola and the incentive to drink more coffee. If the author explicitly stated information about the country which the expected demand will take place and the incentive to drink more coffee for the older adults, the argument could have been strengthened further and clearer.
Second, the argument claims that the average age of consumer increases as the demand for coffee increases specially from 10 to 60, and the demand stays high after 60. This statement is again very weak and not supported because the author fails to demonstrate any correlation between consumer age and total drink consumptions. In fact, the author does not even draw a parallel between total percentage of coffee and cola consumptions per person as he or she ages. The author fails to mention about why the coffee demand is increasing compared to total. Is it increasing from 5% to 35% of the total as the person ages? What about cola, is it decreasing from 60% to 30%? Without any information on the correlation between the coffee and cola consumptions for person, it is illogical to conclude the coffee demand will increase indefinitely and to transfer the investment from Cola Loca company. In addition, if the author provided data about the total consumption per person and why people shift to coffee over the years, the argument could have sounded a bit more convincing.
Finally, the author concludes that investment should be transferred to Early Bird Coffee company because there will more demand in next 20 years, generating more return on the investment. The argument claim is not supported and poorly reasoned because the author does not answer why cola consumption decreases with age. Based on past data without any valid analysis, it is unconvincing to conclude the same trend will continue. For example, the consumers shifted away from cola which has high sugar ingredient for health reasons. In the future, the cola manufactures may start using healthy replacements such as stevia as sugar replacement and then the cola demand may increase significantly compared to coffee demand. Without the supporting evidence and information about all key factors that contribute to the drink consumption and its demand, the claim is more of a wishful thinking rather than substantive evidence. As a result, this conclusion has no legs to stand on.
In summary, the argument is weak and therefore has several flaws. It could be considerably strengthened if the author mentioned all the relevant factors. In order to assess the true and accurate merits of a certain situation, it is essential to have full knowledge of all contributing factors.