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Difficulty:
35%
(medium)
Question Stats:
73% (01:36) correct
27%
(01:51)
wrong
based on 214
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
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The latest census of the town in which Jacob’s hardware store is located has revealed that the population of new residents has increased tenfold since 1980. Though Jacob has not encountered any new competition for business during this time period, his inventory records indicate that the average number of lawnmowers and snowblowers that he sells per year has risen only slightly over the average number of lawnmowers and snowblowers he sold yearly prior to 1980.
Which of the following, if true, best explains the discrepancy outlined above?
(A) Since 1980, many of the single-home properties have been subdivided into smaller single-home parcels.
(B) Inflation has caused the prices of the machines to increase every year since 1980.
(C) All of the housing built in Jacob’s town since 1980 has been large apartment complexes.
(D) The average snowfall since 1980 has decreased from 6 feet per year to 4 feet per year.
(E) Jacob’s store only carries two brands of lawnmowers and snowblowers.
_________________
Which of the following, if true, best explains the discrepancy outlined above?
(A) Since 1980, many of the single-home properties have been subdivided into smaller single-home parcels.
(B) Inflation has caused the prices of the machines to increase every year since 1980.
(C) All of the housing built in Jacob’s town since 1980 has been large apartment complexes.
(D) The average snowfall since 1980 has decreased from 6 feet per year to 4 feet per year.
(E) Jacob’s store only carries two brands of lawnmowers and snowblowers.
_________________
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Shwarma
Joined: 10 Sep 2023
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IMO C
so the population increased 10X but, the gardening equipment sales numbers did not..why?
B,D,E can be easily eliminated
A- says larger homes were made into smaller single units - it's tricky --> but still smaller individual units mean smaller lawns... so maybe some did buy - so thus the fall in sales numbers wouldn't be THAT bad - thus eliminated
going with option C
so the population increased 10X but, the gardening equipment sales numbers did not..why?
B,D,E can be easily eliminated
A- says larger homes were made into smaller single units - it's tricky --> but still smaller individual units mean smaller lawns... so maybe some did buy - so thus the fall in sales numbers wouldn't be THAT bad - thus eliminated
going with option C
Bunuel
KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:
C
If the vast majority of people who moved into Jacob's town since 1980 moved into apartments, there would be no increase in lawnmowers or snowblowers because they would have no property that would require the use of the machines in question. Therefore, the demand for those machines bought would not substantially increase, and (C) is the best explanation for the discrepancy. Demand for the products is not diminished by inflation, (B); nor is demand diminished by Jacob's product selection (E), because the given information states that he has not encountered any new competition that would influence his sales. (A) is invalid because the demand for the two products would increase if more single-home properties were created in the town. Besides the fact that (D) does not address the apparent discrepancy in lawn mower sales, it is not a suitable explanation because a decrease in average snowfall would only decrease the demand for snowblowers if it were significant enough for the blowers to be no longer needed. That is not the case here.
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said.tojiboev
PhD Forum Moderator
Joined: 04 Oct 2018
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Schools: Stanford '27
Posts: 65
Why E is not true? Let’s consider that in 1980, there were four brands. Over time, it’s possible that consumer preferences shift towards the tools offered by the three existing brands, which are not categorized as new competitors. This change in consumer choice doesn’t necessarily indicate the emergence of new competition but rather a redistribution of market share among established brands.
Posts: 76
said.tojiboev
You have answered your own question. Why not E ? Because to justify E as an answer, when you say "it's possible..." , you are supporting it / making up something / 'assuming' something which is not mentioned in the option itself.
If you look at the right answer:
(C) All of the housing built in Jacob’s town since 1980 has been large apartment complexes.
This statement alone explains the discrepancy outlined in the passage without us having to support it further.
Hope it helps
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