PrepTest 124

Incorrect. If popular contemporary novels can't be borrowed from a library, then more people would presumably buy them from a bookstore. This answer brings up a possibility we didn't anticipate—that people are reading fewer library books and making that up by buying more books, thus explaining the profits despite the decline in reading.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Bizarro Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
People are reading less, but bookstores are making more money.

Answer Anticipation:
Bizarro Paradox questions will have a variety of pieces of information that can resolve the paradox, so it's more important to clearly define the unexpected information and maybe one or two ways of resolving it, then heading to the answers.

Here, the stimulus notes that people are reading less. That would suggest that bookstores might be struggling, but it turns out that they're making more money than ever. For that to be the case, their revenue must be coming from something other than selling more books. Whether they've expanded to other areas (puzzles/calendars/games), or the books they do sell have higher margins (fancy hardcovers instead of paperbacks), or they've found a way to drastically cut costs and thus drive profits off, the answer will explain this surge in profits through some mechanism other than volume of books sold.

Answer Explanation:
This answer essentially establishes that something hasn't changed for bookstores—shoplifting, despite increasing elsewhere, hasn't increased at bookstores. If shoplifting hasn't increased, then it's at the same level as it was before the surge in profits, so this can't explain how they're making more money. This answer doesn't address the paradox and thus is the correct answer in this Bizarro Paradox question.

Key Takeaway:
Don't get too wrapped up in anticipating every potential explanation for a given paradox in a Bizarro Paradox question. There will be 4 explanations, and you'll almost certainly miss a few of them. Instead, be sure to understand what the unexpected outcome is and then focus on analyzing answers to see if it explains how it could have come to pass.

Also, a specific takeaway about answer (B)—if you're trying to explain a change, don't pick an answer that notes something didn't change.

Incorrect. This answer establishes an alternative revenue stream—coffee shops—that could account for the increase in profits despite a presumed decline in book sales.

Incorrect. This answer establishes that the margin per book sold has increased with the shift from paperbacks to "lucrative" hardback books, thus allowing an increase in profits on fewer books.

Incorrect. This answer highlights another possibility we didn't anticipate—a shift in reading habits of material other than books. If readers are buying more magazines at bookstores instead of having a subscription, they could read fewer issues while still driving up bookstore profits.