PrepTest 146

Incorrect. Neither speaker discusses rug quality, so this answer is out of scope.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
M: Glendale's only rug store closed down, so there must not be demand, so entrepreneurs shouldn't go into rugs.

R: The store closed for non-rug-related reasons, so the rug market is "wide open."

Answer Anticipation:
Both speakers agree that the only rug store in Glendale closed down, but they disagree over why and what this means for the rug market in the city.

Mario believes the store closed because demand for rugs is low and thus others shouldn't open up another rug store. Renate believes it closed down for reasons unrelated to the product itself, and thus someone could make money selling rugs since the market is "wide open."

Answer Explanation:
Mario believes that rugs are a "product to avoid" for anyone considering opening a business in Glendale, so he disagrees with this answer. Renate believes the market for rugs is "wide open" in Glendale, thus implying she agrees with this answer. This is the point at issue between them.

Key Takeaway:
While we generally go through what both speakers think of each answer in our explanations, and you should, too, during review, don't on the test! As soon as you can identify that at least one of the speakers doesn't have an opinion on a given answer, eliminate it.

Incorrect. Both speakers suggest that they believe one can determine the market for rugs in Glendale. They just disagree over whether it's big enough to make it profitable to run such a business.

Incorrect. There's no discussion of other stores by either speaker, so this answer is completely out of scope.

Incorrect. Mario believes this in blaming the insufficient demand for the closing. Renate doesn't believe that there was insufficient demand in this case, but that doesn't mean she thinks there's never insufficient demand, so she's not committed to disagreeing with this answer and thus it isn't a point at issue between them.