bad holidays ;p

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 2:00 am
Thanked: 2 times

bad holidays ;p

by rahul_tgsp » Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:30 am
If retail stores experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season, then either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford. If attitudes have changed, then we all have something to celebrate this season. If prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford, then it must be that salaries have not kept pace with rising prices during the past year.
Assuming the premises above to be true, if salaries have kept pace with rising prices during the past year, which one of the following must be true?
(A) Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed.
(B) Retail stores will not experience a decrease in retail sales during this holiday season.
(C) Prices in retail stores have not risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season.
(D) Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have not changed, and stores will not experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season.
(E) Either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season.

OA after discussions

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1101
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:26 am
Thanked: 47 times
Followed by:13 members
GMAT Score:640

by HSPA » Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:42 am
If prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford, then it must be that salaries have not kept pace with rising prices during the past year.

If X then Y, if not Y then not X.. is this can be true with C

IMO B.. I took 3.42sec for this .. Options are very tough for me
First take: 640 (50M, 27V) - RC needs 300% improvement
Second take: coming soon..
Regards,
HSPA.

Legendary Member
Posts: 857
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:36 am
Thanked: 56 times
Followed by:15 members

by AIM GMAT » Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:34 am
IMO C.

Tough to eliminate . I was tied up with B , C and D . Whats the OA and source ?
Thanks & Regards,
AIM GMAT

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 436
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 3:07 am
Thanked: 72 times
Followed by:6 members

by manpsingh87 » Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:02 pm
rahul_tgsp wrote:If retail stores experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season, then either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford. If attitudes have changed, then we all have something to celebrate this season. If prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford, then it must be that salaries have not kept pace with rising prices during the past year.
Assuming the premises above to be true, if salaries have kept pace with rising prices during the past year, which one of the following must be true?
(A) Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed.
(B) Retail stores will not experience a decrease in retail sales during this holiday season.
(C) Prices in retail stores have not risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season.
(D) Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have not changed, and stores will not experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season.
(E) Either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season.


OA after discussions
IMO C..!!!
O Excellence... my search for you is on... you can be far.. but not beyond my reach!

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 121
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:44 am
Thanked: 9 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:610

by singh181 » Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:49 pm
Good Q. It took me 4 mins (approx)

Decrease in Rev. this holiday season could be
1. attitude change
a. Celebrate
2. items are expensive now i.e. people cannt afford those items
a. salaries didnt rise with inflation last year
b. Stores have increased their prices

Q: salaries rose with inflation
So, we can remove (2 a.). Since this is an inference question, the above analysis supports E.

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1101
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:26 am
Thanked: 47 times
Followed by:13 members
GMAT Score:640

by HSPA » Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:40 pm
Old question rewritten;

if A then B or C
if B then D
if C then E
Question : if not E then ???
Here A = decreas in revenue B = attitude C = price rise D = buy gifts E = no pay hike

Approach : Ignore options with B,D of mine
Options: 1) ignore 2) Not A 3) Not C 4)ignore 5) B or C [ 2/3 options are left]
First take: 640 (50M, 27V) - RC needs 300% improvement
Second take: coming soon..
Regards,
HSPA.

Legendary Member
Posts: 1112
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:16 am
Thanked: 77 times
Followed by:49 members

by atulmangal » Sun Apr 10, 2011 10:02 pm
Tricky Question

IMO C: 75 sec

Wats the source and OA???

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 516
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:42 am
Location: Mumbai
Thanked: 14 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:710

by ankurmit » Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:17 pm
IMO C .
--------
Ankur mittal

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 979
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:38 am
Location: Hyderabad, India
Thanked: 49 times
Followed by:12 members
GMAT Score:700

by bubbliiiiiiii » Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:24 pm
Good one.

If retail stores experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season, then either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford. If attitudes have changed, then we all have something to celebrate this season. If prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford, then it must be that salaries have not kept pace with rising prices during the past year.
Assuming the premises above to be true, if salaries have kept pace with rising prices during the past year, which one of the following must be true?
(A) Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed. Since only two factors are given in argument, I feel this is a contender, but I eliminated it because I felt this is too extreme for the argument. However, would like to hear any more reasons on why not A.
(B) Retail stores will not experience a decrease in retail sales during this holiday season.
Cannot be said because we still have other factor (attitudes have changed) to be evaluated.
(C) Prices in retail stores have not risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season.
The argument uses rise in salary to compensate for rising costs. Thus, this points out on the purchasing power or affordability of the consumer.
(D) Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have not changed, and stores will not experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season. Similar as B.
(E) Either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season. Restates the argument.
Regards,

Pranay

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 979
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:38 am
Location: Hyderabad, India
Thanked: 49 times
Followed by:12 members
GMAT Score:700

by bubbliiiiiiii » Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:25 pm
Good one.

If retail stores experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season, then either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford. If attitudes have changed, then we all have something to celebrate this season. If prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford, then it must be that salaries have not kept pace with rising prices during the past year.
Assuming the premises above to be true, if salaries have kept pace with rising prices during the past year, which one of the following must be true?
(A) Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed. Since only two factors are given in argument, I feel this is a contender, but I eliminated it because I felt this is too extreme for the argument. However, would like to hear any more reasons on why not A.
(B) Retail stores will not experience a decrease in retail sales during this holiday season.
Cannot be said because we still have other factor (attitudes have changed) to be evaluated.
(C) Prices in retail stores have not risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season.
The argument uses rise in salary to compensate for rising costs. Thus, this points out on the purchasing power or affordability of the consumer.
(D) Attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have not changed, and stores will not experience a decrease in revenues during this holiday season. Similar as B.
(E) Either attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed or prices have risen beyond the level that most people can afford during this holiday season. Restates the argument.
Regards,

Pranay

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:38 am
Location: Slovakia
Thanked: 3 times

by MartinK » Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Very good and tricky question I would go with C.

Reason:
1. Decrease in revenue results from the change in attitude OR in the increase of the prices beyond the level we can afford.

2. If the prices increased to the levels we can't afford THEN our salaries have not risen

Result:
If the salaries have risen THEN the prices have not increased to the levels we can't afford

Classic "IF X THEN Y", "IF NOT Y THEN NOT X".

Legendary Member
Posts: 586
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:38 am
Thanked: 31 times
Followed by:5 members
GMAT Score:730

by rohu27 » Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:42 am
I am spoiling the fun before rahul. tricky Q this. answer is indeed C. it is LSAT Q.
If A ( retail stores experience a decrease in revenues) then B (attitudes toward extravagant gift-giving have changed ) OR C (prices have risen beyond the level most people can afford). If B then D(we all have something to celebrate this season.). If C then E(must be that salaries have not kept pace with rising prices during the past year)
Question says not E then we can only infer not C. we do not know anything about A,B or D.
so answer had to be C.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 2:00 am
Thanked: 2 times

by rahul_tgsp » Mon Apr 11, 2011 4:10 pm
thanks rohu
indeed the ans is C and it is an LSAT question...took me 45 secs when i did it the 1st time n the options seemed really challenging......great work guys have fun ....i'll try posting more such tricky ones

have fun