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A it is.

The argument:

Fact 1: The total beer sold increased.
Fact 2: The total # of adult drink beer decreased.

The question is, how can the total # of adult decreased and the total beer sold still increase? Which answer could explain this? (We looking in this case for the answer that doesn't explain this)

D said that, (even though the total # of adults drinking beer decreased) the # of people who remain drinking drink a lot more than they did in the past. This could explain Fact 1, fact 2 is just accepted in this case. Therefore D explains the situation hence Incorrect here.

A said the number of women begin drinking > the number of men quit drinking. What do we have? Remember both women and men are adults, therefore the # of adults begin drinking > the number of adult quit drinking. Thus we should have the # of adults drinking increase. This contradicts fact 2. Thus exactly what we are looking for.
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A complicates the paradox without doubt.

a) During this year, the number of women who have begun to drink beer is greater than the number of men who have quit drinking beer. ------> I believe this choice even contradicts the premise.

Premise : the total amount of beer sold by breweries has increased, even though the number of adults who drink beer has decreased.----> You are not allowed to contradict the premise.
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A) is comparing the
-number of women who have begun to drink
-no. of men who have quit drinking
to solve the discrepancy on the question u also need to have data about
-no. of women who have quit drinking
-no. of men who have begun to drink.
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Let us handle it this way,

The question, which could explain the simultaneous increase in beer sales and decrease in the number of adults who drink beer EXCEPT

D: The people who have continued to drink beer consume more beer per person than they have in the past.---This explains the question. So not our answer

Now if you could see, A and C are close in reason with a minor difference.
C: During this year, the number of nondrinkers who have begun to drink beer is greater than the number of people who have quit drinking beer.----This says as in whole numbers. Let the total number of past drinkers be 100. If more non drinkers joined the club(say 100) and less drinkers left(say 50). Now sum up the new total... it will be 150... it states there is an increase in number... This is not surely our answer..

A: During this year, the number of women who have begun to drink beer is greater than the number of men who have quit drinking beer.----Here we are not given with the number of women who quit drinking... Unless we know that we cannot deciper the cause needed... So this does not explain the incr in profit and decrease in number of adult... making this our answer....
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If the number of women drinking beer is greater than the number of men who drink beer then this does not explain the reason for the decrease in number of adults drinking beer and simulteneous increase in beer sells.
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The reason Choice C is not an answer is that they are comparing non-drinkers with adults who drink. The argument states that adults who drink beer have decreased. Non-drinkers don't come under the category of adults who drink. Thus, the sales are decreasing and the number of adults who drink is decreasing.
TommyWallach
Hey All,

Looks like there's some confusion on this one, so I figured I'd weigh in. Always feel free to PM me with any specific questions.

The beer industry is still very profitable and the projections are that it will remain so. In the United States this year, the total amount of beer sold by breweries has increased, even though the number of adults who drink beer has decreased.

Each of the following, if true, could explain the simultaneous increase in beer sales and decrease in the number of adults who drink beer EXCEPT:

This is an explain the discrepancy question, which are often among the simplest on the test. This one makes things a bit more interesting by making it an EXCEPT question, but because it repeats the discrepancy itself in the question stem, all we need to do is think about what explains the EXACT discrepancy (not anything else).

1. During this year, the number of women who have begun to drink beer is greater than the number of men who have quit drinking beer.
ANSWER: This would actually mean MORE people are drinking beer this year. But the discrepancy is that FEWER people are drinking beer, and sales are still up. That doesn't work.

2. The number of underage people who have begun to drink beer is greater than the number of adults who have quit drinking beer during the same period.
PROBLEM: This does explain the discrepancy by playing off the word "adults". Sales among adults could be down, but sales among the underage could be up (more than adult sales are down), leading to the described discrepancy.

3. During this year, the number of nondrinkers who have begun to drink beer is greater than the number of people who have quit drinking beer.
PROBLEM: Again, they're playing with "people" over "adults". This could thus explain the discrepancy if the people aren't adults.

4. The people who have continued to drink beer consume more beer per person than they have in the past.
PROBLEM: This does explain the discrepancy. In fact, it's the most obvious. I think D is popular here because people missed the EXCEPT. Classic!

5. More of the beer made in the United States this year was exported to other countries than was the case last year.
PROBLEM: This explains why there are more sales, in spite of the fact that fewer people are drinking.

Hope that helps!

-tommy

P.S. In the future, don't put "easy one" on a question or no one will look at it. This one's actually quite tricky!
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