MGMAT CAT - CR

[aaa]

I disagree that the answer choice is necessary. The new publisher may have just given models and movie stars as a suggestion. The employee who has final say of the cover may have just taken the new publishers advice. Please let me know how I should be thinking about this. Thanks.

Since the new publisher took control, a news magazine’s covers have featured only models and movie stars. Previously, the covers had displayed only politicians, soldiers, and business leaders. A leading gossip columnist claimed that the changes made the magazine relevant again. However, many newspaper editorials disagreed and suggested that the new publisher is more interested in boosting sales than in reporting important news events.

Which of the following is an assumption necessary for the argument made by the gossip columnist’s opponents?
The charitable activities of models and movie stars often focus public attention on pressing problems.
Final authority for choosing the cover subject of the magazine lies with the publisher.
A magazine can boost sales while highlighting the coverage of important world leaders.
Some of the movie stars featured are now running for political office.
Magazine issues with models or movie stars on the covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with issues featuring politicians on the covers.


The argument presents the facts of an apparent change in a magazine's cover features since the new publisher took control. While a gossip columnist hailed the change, newspaper editorials disagreed and concluded that the publisher favored profit over reporting. The editorials are the opponents of the gossip columnist; since their conclusion is about the publisher’s desires, there must be an assumption connecting the publisher to the covers.

(A) This choice is irrelevant, as it is not connected to the conclusion. The activities of celebrities have nothing to do with the publisher’s interests.

(B) CORRECT. Since the conclusion concerns the publisher’s desires based on the content of the magazine covers, the editorials have to assume that the publisher decides who is to be a cover subject. If not, there is no connection between the covers and the publisher’s interests.

(C) This choice is the opposite of a necessary assumption. For the editorials to conclude that the publisher prefers profits to reporting, they have to assume that the two are mutually exclusive.

(D) "Some" means "at least one," so this is not a powerful statement in any direction. Furthermore, even if several such stars were running for political office, it is not at all necessary to assume that to conclude that the publisher was more interested in profits.

(E) This choice is not correct. While it is true that the editorials must assume model and movie star covers are likely to sell more copies, it does not have to be assumed that such covers will result in the sale of triple the number of copies, or any other specific number.

[StaceyKoprince]

The opponents' conclusion specifically says that "the new publisher is more interested in boosting sales than in reporting important news events. " That is, the opponents are assuming that the publisher is the one who made the decision to start putting models and movie stars on the cover.

I agree that the word "final" is a bit much - but, in general, the the opponents are assuming that the publisher is responsible for the decision. I find myself rolling my eyes at the specific wording of verbal questions in the OG or on the official test all the time. Have to remember that, in verbal, we are supposed to find the "best" answer - not the "right" one but the "best" one. And, in this case, B is the best one to answer this particular question: what the opponents, specifically, are assuming. The others don't give us assumptions that specifically address the opponents' conclusion.