Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above? A)

QUESTION

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above?

A) City A is in a region known for high demand for pineapples.
B) People in City A are more likely than people in City B to eat fresh fruit for health reasons.
C) No competitor of All American Burger located in either city offered a burger that contained either pineapple slices or jalapeno slices.
D) Burgers at All American Burger have a popular meal deal option that allows customers to buy a drink and a side order at a reduced charge.
E) The Hawaiian Burger has been in development at All American Burger longer than the Mexican Burger has been in development.

ANSWER

Answer: A
Explanation: A) The conclusion here is about demand for burgers with pineapple slices vs. jalapeno slices, and the evidence is about sales in two cities only. So the argument is weaker if those cities are not representative of tastes in general. That’s what Choice A says. If City A loves pineapples, then the fact that they love the Hawaiian Burger says less about the general popularity of pineapple slices. Choice B has a few problems. The reason why people might like fruit doesn’t tell us whether we should trust the data here. So what if people in City B are more likely to have other reasons for eating fresh fruit? They couldn’t choose the Hawaiian Burger, anyway. Choice B is also too broad, speaking about fresh fruit in general. Besides, pineapple slices on burgers might not even be fresh fruit. Choice C, if anything, strengthens the argument by ruling out the possibility that a competitor might have lured away potential customers who are into pineapple or jalapeno slices. Choice D does not distinguish the Hawaiian Burger offering from the Mexican Burger offering and so has no effect on the argument. If one of the burgers had a meal deal and the other didn’t, then Choice D would be relevant, but that’s not the case. Choice E is background information, but the evidence here is about sales, not the product development process. It also isn’t clear if more time in development is a good thing or a bad thing for the Hawaiian Burger.