Movie pirating, the illegal videotaping of a new theater release and

Question

Movie pirating, the illegal videotaping of a new theater release and subsequent selling of the tape on the black market, is a major concern to the film studios that produce today's mainstream movies. When pirating sales are high, individual studios whose movies are being taped and sold illegally lose a large amount of revenue from black-market viewers who would otherwise pay the full theater price. A low level of pirating sales during a specific period, however, is a fairly reliable indicator of an economic downturn in the movie industry as a whole during that period.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to reconcile the discrepancy noted above?

(A) The film studios that produce today's mainstream movies occasionally serve as distribution outlets for smaller budget independent films that are also susceptible to pirating.

(B) Movie piraters exclusively target blockbuster hits, the existence of which is inextricably tied to the financial success of the movie industry during any given period.

(C) Most movie piraters use small, handheld video cameras that are specially designed to record images in the darkened environment of a movie theater.

(D) The five largest film studios take in a disproportionate amount of movie revenue compared to hundreds of smaller and independent film studios, regardless of whether pirating activity during a specific period is high or low.

(E) A movie pirater who is highly active in selling movies on the black market can sometimes make a full living doing so, while a less active pirater will usually have to supplement the income generated from pirated movies.

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VeeB · Answer

Answer (B)

As only (B) solves the discrepancy between high piracy leading to less revenue of individual studies AND low piracy leading to economic downturn.

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Sid232340 · Answer

I’m guessing the answer should be B as it links piracy and the economic downturn

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Bunuel · Answer

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

Here's a difficult paradox to resolve. Our first task is to understand the discrepancy. The author tells us that a high volume of pirating sales causes studios to lose a great deal of money. However (a "contrast" Keyword which signals the discrepancy in the stimulus), a low volume of pirating sales generally indicates a period of economic weakness in the movie industry.

An 800 test taker keys in on structural signals that illuminate the author's purpose. Words such as but and however signify contrast and are especially important because they tell us that a twist is upcoming.

Why does a low level of pirating sales, which would seem to benefit the industry, actually signal a period of economic weakness in the industry? This is the question that we need to answer, so let's proceed to the answer choices.

(A) doesn't address the issues involved in the discrepancy, focusing as it does on whether these studios distribute smaller films.

(B) is correct because it creates a direct connection between pirating and the financial success of the entire industry. If pirating is related exclusively to big hits, then a low level of pirating signals a lack of blockbuster hits, in which case it's more understandable how a low level of pirating would correspond to periods of economic downturns in the industry.

(C) is off base, focusing as it does on the methods of pirated tape production and not on the connection between pirating and the economic health of the movie industry.

(D) is similarly off base, since it offers a comparative analysis between the largest and not so large studios, which isn't a comparison relevant to the original discrepancy.

(E) gives us information about the profitability of selling pirated movies, which may be interesting but doesn't explain why low pirating sales would signal an economic low point in the entire movie industry.

An 800 test taker identifies the primary issues involved in complex discrepancy questions, and then searches for a choice that addresses those issues while eliminating choices that violate that scope.

Movie pirating, the illegal videotaping of a new theater release and

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Movie pirating, the illegal videotaping of a new theater release and

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