Official Explanation:A manufacturer of flooring materials plans to release a new product that will be simpler to install than any of their other existing products. An outside consultant has advised the manufacturer not to display the product in the limited space available at an upcoming exhibition of new home remodeling products. This advice was given despite the popularity of the exhibition and the success that the manufacturer has had displaying its products at the exhibition in the past.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly justifies the advice given by the consultant? (A) The consultant is aware that another manufacturer will be displaying a similar product at the exhibition.(B) The new flooring material is intended for homeowners to use, but the exhibition is for professional remodelers.(C) The manufacturer has several other products that for years have generated the bulk of the company’s profits.
(D) The consultant has been told by engineers who work for the manufacturer that the new flooring material is not as durable as other flooring materials the company produces.
(E) There will be another, larger exhibition of home remodeling products six months after the upcoming one.Question Type: Strengthen; Resolve Paradox
Boil It Down: Flooring material manufacturer is releasing a new product, but an outside consultant advised them not to display it at an upcoming exhibition, even though the exhibition is popular and the manufacturer has been successful there in the past.
Goal: Find the strongest reason why the consultant might tell the manufacturer to not display their new product. Analysis:This question asks us to strengthen (justify) the consultant’s conclusion.
Conclusion: Don’t display the new product at the exhibition of new home remodeling products.
There is no evidence to support the conclusion. (In fact, there is evidence that makes the conclusion questionable.) Therefore, you must provide evidence in the right choice. If, as choice B states, the product’s intended market is not the same people as those in attendance at the exhibition, the manufacturer would do better to do other things with the limited space that they have available.
(A) The consultant is aware that another manufacturer will be displaying a similar product at the exhibition.
This information does not suggest that the manufacturer should not display their product. It could actually serve to suggest the opposite. They should display it so as to not be outsold by their rival.(B) The new flooring material is intended for homeowners to use, but the exhibition is for professional remodelers.
This is the correct choice. The manufacturer has limited space to display their products, so it’s logical to not display a product that is unlikely to be bought by those in attendance at the exhibition.(C) The manufacturer has several other products that for years have generated the bulk of the company’s profits.
This is irrelevant to an exhibition of specifically NEW products, as stated in the passage.(D) The consultant has been told by engineers who work for the manufacturer that the new flooring material is not as durable as other flooring materials the company produces.
This is irrelevant background information. It might still be a successful product that would benefit from being displayed at the exhibition. (E) There will be another, larger exhibition of home remodeling products six months after the upcoming one.
This does not mean that the new product shouldn’t be displayed at the upcoming exhibition. Why not display the product at both exhibitions?Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.