Critical Reasoning: Paradox Questions
Over the past 6 years, prices of peripheral computer equipment in Country X, such as printers, mice, and keyboards, have dropped significantly. However, the revenues of computer stores in Country X have increased over the same period.
Which of the following, if true, contributes most to reconciling the seeming discrepancy described above?
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice emphasizes the discrepancy. If there were a decrease not only in the prices of peripheral computer equipment but also in the prices of personal computers, we would expect the revenues of computer stores in Country X to decrease further, not to increase.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]Country Y is outside the scope of this argument.
Why did you choose this answer?
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]Country Y is outside the scope of this argument.
Why did you choose this answer?
Well done!
[[snippet]]If the sales of actual computers in Country X soared dramatically, the revenues of computer stores would also rise, despite the drop in the prices of the other equipment.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]The number of stores in Country X is irrelevant to the paradox between lower prices and higher revenues. It can be argued that more stores indicates a greater market and therefore more items sold, but this argument would be based on too many assumptions - instead on what is stated in this answer choice.
The assumption that if two answer choices are somehow related, then one of them is the correct answer is invalid. In this case, for example, neither one of the two similar answer choices is the correct answer.
The word soar means go up, increase sharply. Now you can see that this answer choice is not the correct one.
I didn't find an answer choice that I liked, and I didn't understand the word soared so I thought this answer choice must be correct.
