GMAT
In order to reduce the number of items damaged while in transit to customers, packaging consultants recommended that the TrueSave mail-order company increase the amount of packing material so as to fill any empty spaces in its cartons. Accordingly, TrueSave officials instructed the company's packers to use more packing material than before, and the packers zealously acted on these instructions and used as much as they could. Nevertheless, customer reports of damaged items rose somewhat.Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why acting on the consultants' recommendation failed to achieve its goal?
In Washington County, attendance at the movies is just large enough for the cinema operators to make modest profits. The size of the county's population is stable and is not expected to increase much. Yet there are investors ready to double the number of movie screens in the county within five years, and they are predicting solid profits both for themselves and for the established cinema operators.Which of the following, if true about Washington County, most helps to provide a justification for the investors' prediction?
In Asia, where palm trees are nonnative, the trees' flowers have traditionally been pollinated by hand, which has kept palm fruit productivity unnaturally low. When weevils known to be efficient pollinators of palm flowers were introduced into Asia in 1980, palm fruit productivity increased—by up to 50 percent in some areas—but then decreased sharply in 1984.Which of the following statements, if true, would best explain the 1984 decrease in productivity?
Plan: Concerned about the welfare of its senior citizens, the government of Runagia decided two years ago to increase by 20 percent the government provided pension paid to all Runagians age sixty-five and older.Result: Many Runagian senior citizens are no better off financially now than they were before the increase.Further information: The annual rate of inflation since the pension increase has been below 5 percent, and the increased pension has been duly received by all eligible Runagians.In light of the further information, which of the following, if true, does most to explain the result that followed implementation of the plan?
The Plexis Corporation, a leading computer chip manufacturer, is currently developing a new chip, which is faster and more effi cient than any computer chip currently in use. The new chip will be released for sale in twelve months. Plexis' market research has shown that initial sales of the new chip would be maximized by starting to advertise it now, but the company has decided to wait another six months before doing so.Which of the following, if true, provides the Plexis Corporation with the best reason for postponing advertising its new chip?
Crowding on Mooreville's subway frequently leads to delays, because it is difficult for passengers to exit from the trains. Subway ridership is projected to increase by 20 percent over the next 10 years. The Mooreville Transit Authority plans to increase the number of daily train trips by only 5 percent over the same period. Officials predict that this increase is suffi cient to ensure that the incidence of delays due to crowding does not increase.Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest grounds for the officials' prediction?
Contrary to earlier predictions, demand for sugarcane has not increased in recent years. Yet, even though prices and production amounts have also been stable during the last three years, sugarcane growers last year increased their profits by more than 10 percent over the previous year's level.Any of the following statements, if true about last year, helps to explain the rise in profits EXCEPT:
In order to withstand tidal currents, juvenile horseshoe crabs frequently burrow in the sand. Such burrowing discourages barnacles from clinging to their shells. When fully grown, however, the crabs can readily withstand tidal currents without burrowing, and thus they acquire substantial populations of barnacles. Surprisingly, in areas where tidal currents are very weak, juvenile horseshoe crabs are found not to have significant barnacle populations, even though they seldom burrow.Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the surprising finding?
When there is less rainfall than normal, the water level of Australian rivers falls and the rivers flow more slowly. Because algae whose habitat is river water grow best in slow-moving water, the amount of algae per unit of water generally increases when there has been little rain. By contrast, however, following a period of extreme drought, algae levels are low even in very slow-moving river water.Which of the following, if true, does most to explain the contrast described above?
Products sold under a brand name used to command premium prices because, in general, they were superior to nonbrand rival products. Technical expertise in product development has become so widespread, however, that special quality advantages are very hard to obtain these days and even harder to maintain. As a consequence, brand-name products generally neither offer higher quality nor sell at higher prices. Paradoxically, brand names are a bigger marketing advantage than ever.Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the paradox outlined above?