PrepTest 113, Section 2, Question 6
Advertisement: At most jewelry stores, the person assessing(52 more words not shown)
The reasoning in the advertisement(12 more words not shown)
- AMany jewelry stores(14 more words not shown)
- BThe certifications of(15 more words not shown)
- CThe diamonds sold(15 more words not shown)
- DThe diamond market(22 more words not shown)
- EThe written certifications(14 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Putting a claim in writing doesn't make it true.
The advertisement starts with a reasonable concern. Someone selling a diamond may benefit from describing it as better than it is. If the seller says the diamond is worth $10,000, I still want to know why I should trust that assessment. Writing the same claim on a certificate doesn't answer the question.
What we’re looking for
That's what Gem World's argument is missing. It contrasts other stores' possible conflicts of interest with its own written certifications, but it hasn't explained why those certifications solve the problem. For a strengthener, I'd look for something that gives the writing real value as evidence. Why should that assessment be more trustworthy than the seller's unsupported claim?
Working the answers
- A
Other stores offering certificates doesn't tell us whether Gem World's certificates are reliable or its prices are fair. Everyone could be using reliable assessments, or everyone could be writing down inflated ones. The number of stores doing it doesn't settle the concern.
- B
Experience could help an appraiser recognize a diamond's quality. But recognizing quality and reporting it honestly are different. An experienced person selling a diamond could still have the incentive the advertisement worries about. B may make the assessment more informed, but it leaves the stated conflict of interest unresolved.
- C
Better diamonds can still be overpriced. The question is whether customers pay a fair price for the quality they receive, not whether that quality is higher than a competitor's. C gives no comparison between the diamonds' value and Gem World's prices.
- D
Changing market prices don't establish that Gem World's prices are fair. A price can be above fair value in a stable market or a volatile one. We still need a reason to trust the certification rather than a description of how much prices can move.
- ECorrect
The certifications come from independent gem specialists, rather than simply being the selling employee's assessment written down. That directly addresses the advertisement's concern about the same person both assessing and selling the diamond.
Independence gives us a reason to place more trust in the quality assessment. It doesn't guarantee perfect accuracy or prove that every charged price is fair. But reliable information about quality helps a buyer judge what the diamond is worth, and E gives the certificates a credibility the argument hadn't established. This is why E helps more directly than mere experience in B.
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