Resolve paradox(non PT)

imran123imran123 Free Trial Member
edited October 2016 in Logical Reasoning 67 karma
I've had a tough time doing this.

An analysis of the XO Candy Corporation divided its products into two categories: chocolate-based candies and non-chocolate-based candies. The analysis shows that, unlike the non-chocolate candies, few chocolate candies sold enough units to be profitable. Nevertheless, stopping production of the unprofitable chocolate candies will not necessarily make the entire company more profitable, because__________________ .

Which of the following most logically completes the passage?

A. a large proportion of XO’s customers are those who initially bought XO’s chocolate candies and eventually went on to buy other candies made by XO.

B. XO has recently removed its two lowest-selling chocolate candies from their product line and replaced them with different types of chocolate candies.

C. the recipes of the chocolate candies date from the 19th century, while the non-chocolate candies were all developed more recently.

D.the chocolate candies are distributed differently than the non-chocolate candies, as chocolates are more popular on the coasts.

E.fewer people eat candy at all than they did a decade ago because of growing concern about obesity.


My logic is here. I really appreciate if someone can help me find any flaws in my understanding.

Gist of the stimulus: Chocolate candies aren't as profitable as the non chocolate ones because the chocolate candies sold fewer in number. Author believes that, due to some reason,shutting down chocolate candies operations wouldn't increase the profits.

Assumption: there is some good reason to retain the chocolate division(not sure whether it should be monetary or not)

A:This is the credited answer.
Thought that the reputation of the chocolate division is unnecessary here. Moreover, this choice is in past tense(who bought). I still see there is some bearing to stimulus but not a strong one to attract futurr customers.

B:May be the new ones opened still need some time to show if profitable or not. As per stimulus, Shutting down a few, including the new ones, will not increase the profits. I chose this and can't make out a good reason to eliminate.

C: development vs chocolate operations retention ->irrelevant

D : popular vs profitable. Not sure if this has some bearing on retention.

E: irrelevant since it doesn't focus why chocolate operations need to be retained.

Comments

  • desire2learndesire2learn Member
    1171 karma
    A is the only one that does anything because it basically says that a LOT of their client base used the chocolate as a "gateway candy" to their other products. Essentially their slogan might be - Come for the chocolate, stay for the other candy! Thus the chocolate is needed to hook the customers initially, even if it does not turn a great profit itself.
  • imran123imran123 Free Trial Member
    67 karma
    @desire2learn , I've got why A is right. but how you'd eliminate B ?
  • desire2learndesire2learn Member
    1171 karma
    It is more or less irrelevant to the sentences preceding it. You would have to make a lot of large assumptions to tie the ideas together. It is not that you can't come up with some way to make B somehow relevant, it is that to do so requires a lot of extra "potential" scenarios and information which means it does not most logically complete the passage. Answer A is the more logical completion.
  • imran123imran123 Free Trial Member
    67 karma
    @desire2learn , Thanks :)
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