PrepTest 142, Section 3, Question 7
Given the amount of time and effort that(448 more words not shown)
The last paragraph most strongly(7 more words not shown)
- AThe names of(10 more words not shown)
- BThe profitability of(11 more words not shown)
- CCompanies that sell(9 more words not shown)
- DPerfume makers of(8 more words not shown)
- ECompanies that sell(14 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
More profitable doesn't necessarily mean better perfume. The final paragraph describes companies increasing profits by replacing better ingredients with cheaper approximations. That lets financial success and artistic quality move in opposite directions.
Working the answers
- A
We aren't told whether most customers know the names of the world's best perfumes. Neglect by art professionals doesn't establish the general public's knowledge of those names.
- BCorrect
A perfume could become more profitable because it costs less to produce, even though the substitutions reduce its quality. Profitability therefore doesn't reliably indicate how good the perfume is. This follows from the specific cost-cutting practice the author describes.
- C
The companies assume customers won't notice the substitutions. That isn't the same as paying little attention to what customers want. A company could study what buyers notice and exploit their willingness to accept a cheaper approximation.
- D
The author criticizes current tampering but never says earlier perfume makers never altered established formulas. We have no basis for ruling out every earlier case.
- E
Cheaper ingredients mean lower production costs, not necessarily a low retail price. Nothing tells us which price ranges account for most corporate profits. This adds a sales breakdown the paragraph doesn't provide.
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