There are about 75 brands of microwave popcorn on the market; altogether, they account for a little over half of the ...
DalaalMarch 9, 2020
Having trouble with answer choice D
Hi
If answer choice D was phrased as "So microwave popcorn, which takes 3 minutes to cook, accounts for a little over half of the money from sales of microwave food products," then I would understand why it is the correct answer. But the addition of "microwave food products that take longer to cook" throw me off. How do we know if the other microwave market products, that generate fewer sales than the MC popcorn, don't take less than 3 min to cook? There is no indication of it in the passage.
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This is a really tricky question. The key lies in the very first sentence which states that microwave popcorn accounts "for a little over half of the money from sales of microwave food products." This tells us that that over half of all money spent on microwave food products is spent on microwave popcorn. As we know that microwave popcorn takes 3 minutes to cook, we also know that over half of all money spent on microwave food products is spent on food that takes less than three minutes to cook. Answer (D) tells us this in different words by saying that more money is spent on microwave food that takes less than 3 minutes to cook, then on microwave food which takes more than 3 minutes to cook. This must be true, as over half the money is spent on popcorn which takes less than 3 minutes to cook.
It doesn't matter if other products take less than 3 minutes to cook, because that would just add to the amount of money spent on products that take less than 3 minutes which would strengthen the argument.
redfoxblacksoxApril 15, 2021
Oh jeez - I know this is months after it's written, but thank you for the explanation. I was very hung up on the "but other foods could also take 3 min or less to cook and we don't know how much they cost etc" thought. But now I see, if popcorn (which takes 3 min/less to cook) makes up the majority of money made then the answer restates this fact.
