PrepTest 114, Section 2, Question 24
Appliance dealer: Appliance manufacturers commonly modify existing models(73 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(8 more words not shown)
- AAppliances are generally(14 more words not shown)
- BAppliances usually carry(17 more words not shown)
- CAppliance manufacturers frequently(8 more words not shown)
- DImproved versions of(20 more words not shown)
- EThe high cost(18 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Which version am I actually buying?
My first concern is repairs. Imagine owning a refrigerator, ordering a replacement part under its model name, and discovering that the manufacturer has changed the design without changing the name. The part might fit the newer version but not yours. Maybe the changes are superficial and cause no such problem, but that is one reason I'd want versions distinguished.
The consumers raise a related concern: they can't be certain they're buying the same appliance they saw elsewhere. The dealer answers that every modification is an improvement. That changes the question. Better isn't the same as identical, and a beneficial change doesn't automatically remove every reason to care about the difference.
What we’re looking for
For a weakener, I'd look for a practical problem caused by that uncertainty. My repair example is one possibility. We need a reason consumers could reasonably object even if the modifications themselves really are improvements.
Working the answers
- A
Expecting years of use doesn't, on its own, show a problem with keeping the same model name. Long use could make identification important for repairs, but A doesn't tell us that changed versions cause a repair problem. We'd have to add the connection ourselves.
- B
More detailed model numbers could help consumers distinguish versions even when the names stay the same. That potentially gives the dealer a response to the identification concern. It doesn't guarantee the numbers solve every problem, but it points toward less reason to object, rather than the stronger objection we're looking for.
- C
This is the opposite naming situation: identical products sold under different names. Our concern is different versions sharing one name. Telling us that manufacturers also use several names for the same product doesn't explain a harm caused by the practice under discussion.
- DCorrect
This gives us a different problem from the repair issue I predicted. Old and improved versions are on sale at the same time under the same name. So buying that name doesn't ensure that the improvement the dealer praises will end up in your home.
Suppose your neighbor gets the improved refrigerator. You buy what has the same model name, but the store sells you an older version still in its inventory. You miss the feature you expected. The modifications can all be beneficial and consumers can still have a good reason to object to a name that doesn't distinguish which version they're getting.
- E
This explains why manufacturers might want to keep the name. It doesn't show whether consumers have a reason to object. Saving the manufacturer advertising costs can coexist with confusion for buyers. An explanation of the manufacturer's incentive doesn't settle the dealer's claim about the consumer's reasons.
More Weaken questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Weaken questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.