Logical reasoning PrepTest 119 · Section 2 · Question 25

Question prompt

Studies have shown that Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: C

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Flawed

Question Type

Weaken Questions

Stimulus Summary

Sports food vs. Common food - Same nutrients, but 2-3x more expensive
Conclusion - The only reason to buy them is because of expensive marketing campaigns

Answer Anticipation

The argument compares sports foods to common foods. It brings up a similarity (nutrition) and a difference (cost) before concluding the reason that people purchase them - expensive marketing campaigns.
It’s clear that people aren’t buying them because of nutritional differences or cost (when there are acceptable alternatives that are multiple times less expensive). However, those reasons (and falling for marketing campaigns) aren’t the only ones that could potentially lead someone to buy these foods.
This argument brings two ideas together to lead to an anticipation here - it concludes an explanation based on a comparison. As such, we can anticipate that the answer will bring up an alternative explanation for the purchase - and it’ll likely highlight a difference between the sports food and the common food that makes the former preferable to athletes despite the higher cost and lack of nutritional benefit.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Sports foods are occasionally Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    “Occasionally” makes this answer pretty weak. Additionally, this answer doesn’t establish that these athletes don’t also eat common foods, which would be necessary to pose it as an alternative explanation for athlete behavior.
  2. B
    Many grocery stores carry Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer brings up another similarity - they’re about as easy to get as each other from a grocery store. If that’s the case, then easier access isn’t a reason that sports foods sell so well, and thus, if anything, this answer strengthens the argument.
  3. C
    Sports foods are easier Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem
    This answer brings up a difference between sports foods and regular foods that would make the former preferable to athletes, thus providing an explanation for why they’d purchase it that doesn’t have to do with expensive advertising campaigns. In providing an alternative explanation while differentiating sports foods from common foods, this answer weakens the argument.
  4. D
    Regular foods contain vitamins Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    It was already established that regular and sports foods contain the same nutrients in the same questions, so bringing up what those nutrients are won’t do much of anything to the argument.
  5. E
    Sports foods can nutritionally Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This is more or less already stated in the stimulus when it says that sports foods and common foods have the same nutrients in the same quantities, so this answer doesn’t have an effect on the argument.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 4%
  2. B 4%
  3. C Credited 85%
  4. D 4%
  5. E 3%

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