GWD-29-38 难题谁能解?

In the past, every ten-percentage-point increase in cigarette prices in the country of Coponia has decreased per capita sales of cigarettes by four percent.  Coponia is about to raise taxes on cigarettes by 9 cents per pack.  The average price of cigarettes in Coponia is and has been for more than a year 90 cents per pack.  So the tax hike stands an excellent chance of reducing per capita sales of cigarettes by four percent.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

1. Tobacco companies are unlikely to reduce their profit per pack of cigarettes to avoid an increase in the cost per pack to consumers in Coponia.

2. Previous increases in cigarette prices in Coponia have generally been due to increases in taxes on cigarettes.

3. Any decrease in per capita sales of cigarettes in Coponia will result mainly from an increase in the number of people who quit smoking entirely.

4. At present, the price of a pack of cigarettes in Coponia includes taxes that amount to less than ten percent of the total selling price.

5. The number of people in Coponia who smoke cigarettes has remained relatively constant for the past several years.

选A.

E为什么不对?  他说的PRICE是不是包括TAX?  TAX是消费税还是要工厂付给政府的钱?

文章说，香烟价格上涨10％，每个人的销量下降4％

现在税涨9分，原来的价钱是90分。得出了个结论，每个人的销量下降4％

可知这个税全部加在了香烟的价格上。这样才能使香烟价格上涨10％

所以A：烟草公司不愿意降价

E：人数不在讨论范围内，因为总数也不知道，得不出每个人的价钱。另外文章一直是在讨论，单位价格，没有必要牵涉到总数。hence，E is unnecessary and out of scoupe

谢谢仗义回复! 

每个人的销量下降4％ 仅由PRICE涨幅决定. 这里有个ASSUMPTION: 税算在PRICE里.  一般的理解TAX:是消费税, 不包括在PRICE里.  顾客实际付的是PRICE+TAX.  但这里为什么可以直接认为TAX是PRICE的一部分呢? 或者说加了9分TAX, 就可以认为加了9分的PRICE呢?

以下是引用Lucy26在2006-9-21 19:25:00的发言：

谢谢仗义回复! 

每个人的销量下降4％ 仅由PRICE涨幅决定. 这里有个ASSUMPTION: 税算在PRICE里.  一般的理解TAX:是消费税, 不包括在PRICE里.  顾客实际付的是PRICE+TAX.  但这里为什么可以直接认为TAX是PRICE的一部分呢? 或者说加了9分TAX, 就可以认为加了9分的PRICE呢?

 

 

I think your understanding has merits. However, don't get carried away by our common sense.  We only care what is given in the context, but not what we already know in daily life.

你什么时候考?  有没有MSN?  Thanks.

thanks~~~

The key to choice A is the hidden assumption: the increase in the tax will go to the final price of the tobacco pack, ie. the new final price = current price + tax hike. Only under such an assumption, we can see a price increase by 10% (90 ->99), hence a decrease by 4% in the use of tobacco.

Here again how important it is to find the hidden premises.