Critical Reasoning: Inference Questions
The Slide company put its focus on creating aesthetic and eye-catching skateboards whereas the Glide
company on producing highly functional skateboards. Before developing their
latest models, both companies considered making changes to their
strategies. More sales have been attributed to the latest model
released by Glide than that released by Slide. In the skateboard industry, the more
equally balanced the aesthetics and functionality of a skateboard are,
the higher its sales.
If the statements above are correct, they most strongly support which of the following?
Incorrect.
This conclusion contradicts Premise D. Skateboard buyers do not prefer functionality over aesthetics. Instead, they are drawn to the equal balance of both aspects.
Incorrect.
This conclusion goes too far beyond of the premises. Just because Glide's latest board has had greater sales than that of Slide's does not mean that Glide now leads the skateboard industry. Maybe all the boards before it didn't even come close in sales to those produced by Slide. There might be also be more companies in the industry.
In addition, you cannot assume that Glide's latest model equally balanced aesthetics and functionality; it may have had a closer balance then before, but that doesn't mean one aspect did not receive more emphasis over the other.
Incorrect.
This conclusion cannot be supported by the argument since no mention of the actual changes made by the companies. It is possible that Slide made a huge change towards functionality, for example.
Incorrect.
This conclusion cannot be
supported by the argument since no mention of the actual changes made
by the companies is made. It is possible that the Glide company lowered its level of functionality to meet that of its aesthetics and thereby formed a more equal balance between the two.
Fantastic!
Premise D tells us that it is the balance of aesthetic and functional levels that boosts the sales of a skateboard. The closer the levels (no matter how high or how low), the higher the sales; so the Glide product's level must have been closer than those of the Slide's product.
