A recent survey found that more computers than copies of computer programs were purchased by Germans last year. The best interpretation of this finding is that the practice of illegally duplicating commercial computer programs is widespread among Germans.
Each of the following, if true, would counter some reasonable objection to the interpretation advanced above EXCEPT:
(A) Few German computer users write their own computer programs.
(B) There are few free noncommercial computer programs available in Germany.
(C) Some Germans purchase computers outside of Germany for use in Germany, and such purchases were counted in the survey.
(D) The typical German computer user has several commercially written computer programs on his or her computer.
(E) Many Germans legally make duplicates of commercial computer programs, but such duplicates were counted as purchased copies in the survey.
This question is somewhat diabolical, because the instructions themselves are confusing. It's saying that someone might try to weaken the argument in various ways, and 4 out of the 5 above address reasonable attempts at weakening; which one does not? So to answer it, you have to imagine the objection that each choice is addressing, and decide whether it's a reasonable attempt at weakening the argument. So it's a kind of strengthen-the-argument question, but done in a more complex way than they usually are. Let's do them one by one:
(A) Few German computer users write their own computer programs.
Suppose someone had tried to weaken the argument by saying "Wait, maybe Germans are mostly writing their own computer programs. That explains how there are more computers sold than software sold." That would be a reasonable attempt to weaken the argument, and A would counter it -- so the answer is not A.
(B) There are few free noncommercial computer programs available in Germany.
Suppose someone had said, "Wait, maybe Germans are getting free open-source software, so that's why they don't buy much software." That would be a reasonable attempt to weaken the argument, and B would counter it -- so it's not B.
(C) Some Germans purchase computers outside of Germany for use in Germany, and such purchases were counted in the survey.
Suppose someone had said, "Wait, maybe the survey only counted computers bought inside Germany, not those that were bought outside and carried into the country." Well, so what? How is that any kind of an attempt to weaken the argument? So the correct choice is C.
(D) The typical German computer user has several commercially written computer programs on his or her computer.
Suppose someone had said, "Wait, maybe Germans don't use a lot of commercial software -- maybe they get software somewhere else or maybe all these computers that were bought just have no software on them at all, and they're all just sitting in boxes unused." That would be a reasonable attempt to weaken the argument, and D counters it, so it's not D.
(E) Many Germans legally make duplicates of commercial computer programs, but such duplicates were counted as purchased copies in the survey.
Suppose someone said, "Wait, maybe Germans are legally allowed to make a certain number of duplicates of programs -- for instance, maybe in Germany, you can legally share software with people who live at the same address as you, such as family and roommates, and so that explains how they're getting enough software for all the computers in the country without buying it." That would be a reasonable attempt to weaken the argument, and E counters it by saying that legal copying was already taken into account in formulating the argument. So it's not E.
