PrepTest 150, Section 3, Question 11
Many newspapers have cut back on book reviews,(53 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(9 more words not shown)
- AThe newspapers should(7 more words not shown)
- BMany newspapers have(10 more words not shown)
- CFocus group research(14 more words not shown)
- DThe move to(16 more words not shown)
- EThe move to(14 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Maybe the people who want different features aren't the people who buy the newspaper. Imagine a grandmother who reads every edition for its book coverage. A focus group might prefer more sports or movie features, but taking away the book reviews could disappoint an actual loyal customer to attract someone who still won't subscribe.
That's the concern the author develops. The change is meant to bring in readers, yet it allegedly drives loyal readers away while catering to casual readers who are more likely to watch television. I can see how that would make the change a mistake: liking a proposed feature in a focus group isn't the same as becoming a newspaper reader.
What we’re looking for
Now separate the recommendation from its reasons. We're asked for the conclusion, and the author tells us the cuts were 'ill-advised.' In ordinary language: the newspapers shouldn't have done this. The claim that readership falls explains why the author thinks the decision was bad.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
This restates the author's judgment that cutting back on book reviews was ill-advised. The rest of the argument explains that judgment: the attempt to gain readers instead alienates the readers the papers already have. A captures the decision the author says the newspapers should not have made.
- B
This describes what the newspapers did. It sets up the action the author criticizes but doesn't include the criticism. The point isn't merely that book reviews were cut; it is that cutting them was a mistake.
- C
The focus group research explains why newspapers might think the replacement features would attract readers. The author then argues that acting on that information has gone badly. C gives the background motivation for the decision, not the conclusion against it.
- D
This is the strongest reason given for calling the move ill-advised. The author explains the decline through alienating loyal readers, then uses the decline to justify the overall negative judgment. Ask why the newspapers shouldn't have made the cuts: because the change reduced readership. D answers that 'why' question rather than stating the final recommendation.
- E
Alienating loyal readers while courting casual ones explains how the readership decline happens. That mechanism supports the claim in D, which in turn supports the judgment in A. E is part of the explanation for the conclusion, not the author's final point.
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