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This year the New Hampshire Division of Company X, set a new record for annual sales by that division. This record is especially surprising since the New Hampshire Division has the smallest potential market and the lowest sales of any of Company X's divisions.
Which of the following identifies a flaw in the logical coherence of the statement above?
A. If overall sales for Company X were sharply reduced, the New Hampshire Division's new sales record is irrelevant to the company's prosperity.
B. Since the division is competing against its own record, the comparison of its sales record with that of other divisions is irrelevant.
C. If this is the first year that the New Hampshire Division has been last in sales among Company X's divisions, the new record is not surprising at all.
D. If overall sales for Company X were greater than usual, it is not surprising that the New Hampshire Division was last in sales.
E. Since the New Hampshire Division has the smallest potential market, it is not surprising that it had the lowest sales.
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15 Nov 2018, 11:54
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Top Contributor
This one showcases an ever-important theme in Critical Reasoning. Whether it's a classic Strengthen or Weaken (in which case specificity in the wording of the conclusion is super important) or a "resolves the paradox" question like here (where the precision in wording in the "surprising fact" is super important), when the conclusion or surprising fact includes "extra" language (modifiers, adjectives), pay extra attention to that!
Here the surprising fact is the first sentence (the second sentence alerts you to that by saying "this is surprising, because" in reference to the first). And look at the extra modifier at the end:
This year the New Hampshire Division of Company X, set a new record for annual sales by that division.
This should signal that what's really important here isn't "New Hampshire set a record" but that it's a very specific record...it's not a global record, company record, etc. - it's a record for that particular branch. For this reason, it doesn't matter whether it's the smallest or largest branch in the company...we're only comparing New Hampshire to itself. So the fact that it's smaller than the other branches doesn't make "it set its own individual branch record" surprising. (Just like if I run the 100 meters in the fastest time I've ever run it, it doesn't matter that Usain Bolt would have beaten me by 10 seconds...if it's my personal best, it only matters what I've done).
So that's why (B) is correct, but more important is that big lesson - when the conclusion (or surprising fact) includes "extra" information in the form of a modifier or adjective, that extra information usually tips you off to what's most important for that problem.
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15 Nov 2018, 13:51
The information we are given is that the New Hampshire Division set a new record for annual sales "by that division." What was accomplished then, is simply an increase in that division's sales relative to its previous years. It is therefore not surprising, because an increase in sales has nothing to do with its potential market nor its annual sales relative to other divisions. The flaw here is a lack of relevance, so answer is B.
Re: This year the New Hampshire Division of Company X, set a new record fo
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23 Nov 2018, 13:49
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VeritasPrepBrian wrote:
This one showcases an ever-important theme in Critical Reasoning. Whether it's a classic Strengthen or Weaken (in which case specificity in the wording of the conclusion is super important) or a "resolves the paradox" question like here (where the precision in wording in the "surprising fact" is super important), when the conclusion or surprising fact includes "extra" language (modifiers, adjectives), pay extra attention to that!
Here the surprising fact is the first sentence (the second sentence alerts you to that by saying "this is surprising, because" in reference to the first). And look at the extra modifier at the end:
This year the New Hampshire Division of Company X, set a new record for annual sales by that division.
This should signal that what's really important here isn't "New Hampshire set a record" but that it's a very specific record...it's not a global record, company record, etc. - it's a record for that particular branch. For this reason, it doesn't matter whether it's the smallest or largest branch in the company...we're only comparing New Hampshire to itself. So the fact that it's smaller than the other branches doesn't make "it set its own individual branch record" surprising. (Just like if I run the 100 meters in the fastest time I've ever run it, it doesn't matter that Usain Bolt would have beaten me by 10 seconds...if it's my personal best, it only matters what I've done).
So that's why (B) is correct, but more important is that big lesson - when the conclusion (or surprising fact) includes "extra" information in the form of a modifier or adjective, that extra information usually tips you off to what's most important for that problem.
Hi Brian, I was stuck between B and D, but i choose D, can you please throw some light on D, why its incorrect , got confused by D
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This year the New Hampshire Division of Company X, set a new record fo
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27 Jan 2019, 15:42
The paragraph seems to praise New Hampshire divisons sales despite being small and with limited market. The question needs to find out the argument which contravenes the para.. Option B which says New Hampshires sales are- irrelavant is right choice.
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gmatclubot
This year the New Hampshire Division of Company X, set a new record fo
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27 Jan 2019, 15:42
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75% (01:43) correct 
