Vtrilla1991 wrote:
This can't be a GMAT question - can it?
Never have I seen a verbal question like this.
kashishDhir wrote:
How does mean value help in determining the the validity of the argument?
Hello, everyone,
Vtrilla1991 and
kashishDhir in particular. First off, this is
not a question that you would see on the GMAT™, so if you want to have fun with it, that is fine, but you should not think of it as preparing for the test. An answer such as (E) might appear on the Quant section, but not in a Verbal CR (or SC) question in particular.
That said, I have read through the community dialogue, and I remain unconvinced that gaining insight into
the mean value of all purchases on both holidays would necessarily allow us get behind the argument. Since Amazon is the focus of the passage, we could put forth the notion that Jeff Bezos decided to go on a shopping spree ahead of either holiday and spent all that money himself—he could certainly afford to do so—whether on one purchase or many. Now, if Jeff Bezos was the sole shopper on either day, what good would this
mean value knowledge serve us? Furthermore, if the customer is the same person for both periods, then what meaningful conclusion can we really draw at all? By extension, we could theoretically say that the same
group of Amazon customers shopped during both periods and just happened to have spent a little more money in December. There are too many loopholes for us to close to qualify the argument presented.
Do not get me wrong: writing questions is hard. (I would know: I supplied the Verbal questions for the
12 Days of Christmas Competition last December.) That is why GMAC™ spends thousands of dollars per question to rigorously test for validity
before the question ever makes it to the exam center.
Have fun with this one, but stick to official questions as much as possible to prepare for the GMAT™. Good luck with your studies.
- Andrew
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