WeakenDiff: Easy

Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: Even though there are big pushes to get people to read more fiction, bookstores are making less money from fiction books than they used to, so the pushes must not be working.

Conclusion: The national campaigns to encourage fiction reading have failed to achieve their goal.

Reasoning: Most bookstores have seen a drop in money made from fiction sales over the last five years.

Analysis: The argument assumes that bookstore revenue is the only metric for a campaign's success. This is a bit like saying people have stopped eating because the local grocery store’s vegetable sales are down—maybe they’re just growing their own or ordering takeout! To weaken this, look for an answer that suggests people are reading fiction in ways that don't involve buying them at traditional bookstores, such as using libraries or digital subscriptions.

Passage Stimulus

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3.

Which one of the following statements, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

Correct Answer
A
If mail order book clubs saw substantial growth in fiction sales, then declining bookstore revenues don’t necessarily show that the campaigns failed; sales may have shifted away from bookstores, so campaigns could still have increased overall fiction reading.
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