一道很具迷惑的题目，已有8位英雄折腰！（答案）

nettalker

显然为B,
即使照fhlly的思路，若补上magzinelike的核心词修饰才是假设，那去掉此词则假设的必要条件要求就更低了，那更应该是假设了。

d完全不是必要条件，显然是个干扰项。

hz

我也选B。
B取非，断桥削弱；D取非，不一定断桥。
另外，如果题干是一个真实的案例，从实际出发，我们会考虑什么呢？应该不会考虑D的情况，而B的情况是必须要考虑的。

ca3ltoys

I think the answer must be C.

ca3ltoys

for there is a analogy in the argument, term-employ here means apply or appropriate something like that. so I am sure the correct answer is C.

twelvecolors

看了那个贴子，斑竹们给的答案是D,但也有不少反对者，虽然是少数，我觉得有必要说一下我的观点给大家，不对之处请指正！

首先有一点，希望大家能记住：assume题，要考的就是让我们选出使argument能够成立的必要条件，如果没有就会weaken argument。因才我们有必要看一下它的推理过程,而文中argument的推理过程应该是这样：

premise:magazine-like format designed increased the sale of the clothing-->
conclusion:housewares catalog using the same concept also can do so.

要使这个argument成立，必须给出conslusion成立的evidence,如B,an upscale clientelte would be interested in a housewares catalog,尽管如fhjjj斑竹说的showing interest doesn't equal  to buying the goods, 但是这也是evidence,也是更优答案，而且大家应该注意到：appeal 和 interested in的对应关系；并且B还解决了fhjjj斑竹所说的after that, then because of that 的错误，说明a magazinelike format 确实能够appeal consumers;

再看D,只是说了argument中一个主体的必要条件，虽然还有个required，但它只是a magazinelike format 的必要条件，而不是argument本身的；因此我认为选D的错误是混淆了整体和部分的必要条件;

总上所述，我认为B才是正确答案！

mindfree

What a discussion...

Assumption is always a gap-filling premise hidden and undisclosed. It is a required condition. Without it, the conclusion is unwarranted.

so we need to find the premises and the conclusion first and understand the reasoning.

The premise is that company did X for A, and Y happened.
Conclusion is that the company can do X for B, and Y will happen (it is not manifested, only hinted)
You can see that the premises contains some reasoning (premises and conclusion) itself.

Now we can test the choices:

C is wrong. If not C, the conclusion can still hold. C does not fill any gap. For C to be right, there should be somehting in the sentence that reads like "the copywriter and graphic artist used their patented design...and the company want the same design for both clothing and houseware catalogues". So C simply stated one possible scenario, not an assumption.

Let's look at D.
If not D "a magazinelike format does not require a copywriter and a graphic artist", can the conclusion still hold? I say YES. Put it this way, a company does not necessarily need a copywriter and a graphic artist to do the magazinelike format. But this statement does not dampen the reasoning that a company can use a copywriter and a graphic artist to design the magazinelike format, then appeal to upscale, then improve sales. Allow me to use a simpler example: To get rich does not require winning a lottery, but it cannot rule out that fact that winining a lottery can get people rich.

Now B. If not B "an upscale clientelte would NOT be interested in a housewares catalog", then the link between the premise and the conclusion is broken. You can see that the link the premise is "a copywriter and a graphic designer --> magazinelike format --> appeal to unscale clientile --> improved sale". "Not B" breaks the link, and the conclusion cannot hold any more.

One more comment about "key word". fhlly mentioned that "require" is a magic word in this question and another question jq_jau brought up. However, in the second sample question choice D, "cannot be employed without" has the same meaning as "require". I do not see how one key word can solve a whole problem here.

Comments are welcome.

joice

Charming.

annywy

毫不犹豫地选B. There is a almost the same 题 in " TMAT Da Quan"

mychen75

I chose C because that the original success is due to the hiring of the copywriter and artisit.

深海的小美人鱼

我做这道题的时候是我选的答案是D
但是书上的正确答案却是B

当时我就晕了，看了书上的答案还觉得有道理
我的理解呢，是这样的，就是说A mail order company recently had a big jump in clothing sales after hiring a copywriter and a graphic artist to give its clothing catalog a magazine-like format designed to appeal to a more upscale。。。 前提是因为clothing catalog 取得了成功，所以此公司才决定要用同样的magazine-like format用到 HOUSEWARES:The company is now planing to launch a housewares catalog using the same concept.
那么公司认为什么呢？
它首先觉得是因为appeal to a more upscale clientl，然后获得成功，那么B应该是正确的

d)a magazinelike format requires a copywriter and a graphic artist

公司的concept是magazine-like format，而不是用 copywriter and a graphic artist