Following several years of declining advertising sales, the Greenville Times reorganized its
advertising sales force two years ago. Before the reorganization, the sales force was organized
geographically, with some sales representatives concentrating on city-center businesses and
others concentrating on different outlying regions. The reorganization attempted to increase
the sales representatives' knowledge of clients' businesses by having each sales representative
deal with only one type of industry or of retailing. After the reorganization, advertising sales
increased.
In assessing whether the improvement in advertising sales can properly
be attributed to the reorganization, it would be helpful to find out each of the
following EXCEPT:
A. Two years ago, what proportion of the Greenville Times’ total revenue was generated by
advertising sales?
B. Has the circulation of the Greenville Times increased substantially in the last two years?
C. Has there been a substantial turnover in personnel in the advertising sales force over the last
two years?
D. Before the reorganization, had sales representatives found it difficult to keep up with relevant
developments in all types of businesses to which they are assigned?
E. Has the economy in Greenville and the surrounding regions been growing rapidly over the last
two years?
When a question stem includes a word in ALL CAPS, rephrase the question stem WITHOUT the all-cap word.
If we omit from the question stem above the word
EXCEPT, we get:
In assessing whether the improvement in advertising sales can properly be attributed to the reorganization, it would be helpful to find out which of the following?
Four of the five answer choices will STRENGTHEN or WEAKEN the conclusion that the reorganization is responsible for the improvement in ad sales.
Eliminate these four answer choices.
The correct answer will be the REMAINING answer choice.
Here, the answer choices are phrased as QUESTIONS.
To see more easily which answer choices strengthen or weaken the conclusion, rephrase the answer choices as STATEMENTS.
B:
The circulation of the Greenville Times has increased substantially in the last two years.
Here, the improvement in ad sales can be attributed to the increase in circulation, WEAKENING the conclusion that the reorganization is responsible for the improvement in ad sales.
Eliminate B.
C:
There been a substantial turnover in personnel in the advertising sales force over the last two years.
Here, the improvement in ad sales can be attributed to the turnover in personnel, WEAKENING the conclusion that the reorganization is responsible for the improvement in ad sales.
Eliminate C.
D:
Before the reorganization, sales representatives found it difficult to keep up with relevant
developments.
This answer choice indicates that the reorganization has made it easier for sales reps to keep up with relevant developments, STRENGTHENING the conclusion that the reorganization is responsible for the improvement in ad sales.
Eliminate D.
E:
The economy in Greenville and the surrounding regions has been growing rapidly over the last two years.
Here, the improvement in ad sales can be attributed to the growth in the economy, WEAKENING the conclusion that the reorganization is responsible for the improvement in ad sales.
Eliminate E.
The correct answer is
A.
A: Two years ago, a high proportion of the Greenville Times’ total revenue was generated by advertising sales.
This answer choice tells us nothing about whether the reorganization is responsible for the improvement in ad sales.
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