LSAT Explanation PT 40, S3, Q1: Big-budget movies often gross two or
LSAT Question Stem
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy above?
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Paradox question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is B.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
The question type for this problem is a Paradox, which means we need to find an answer choice that helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the passage. The passage tells us that big-budget movies often gross two or three times the cost of their production and marketing, yet most of the movie industry's total revenue comes from low-budget movies. We need to find an answer choice that can explain how both of these statements can be true at the same time.
Let's analyze each answer choice:
Answer choice (a): This choice states that big-budget movies need to sell many more tickets than low-budget movies to recoup their production costs. While this may be true, it does not help to resolve the discrepancy, since we are discussing the industry's revenues, not profits. The number of tickets sold to recoup production costs is irrelevant to the industry's total revenue.
Answer choice (b): This choice explains that there are many more low-budget movies produced than there are big- and medium-budget movies. This helps to resolve the discrepancy because it shows that even though big-budget movies may make more money individually, the sheer number of low-budget movies produced can still result in them contributing more to the industry's total revenue. This is the correct answer choice.
Answer choice (c): This choice tells us that the movie industry's revenues, when adjusted for inflation, have declined sharply in the last 30 years. While this may be an interesting fact, it does not help to explain the discrepancy between the huge revenues of big-budget movies and their smaller contribution to the industry's overall revenues.
Answer choice (d): This choice states that big-budget movies cost more in insurance premiums than low-budget movies due to their elaborate special effects. However, this information is irrelevant to the discrepancy at hand because it relates to the costs of the movies rather than the revenues they generate.
Answer choice (e): This choice says that the more time a company spends on making a movie, the more expensive the movie is. While this may be true, it does not help to resolve the discrepancy because it focuses on the expense associated with making a movie, not the revenues earned by the movie. The expense of making a movie does not directly affect the revenues it generates, so this answer choice does not help to explain the discrepancy in the passage.
In conclusion, the correct answer choice is (b), as it provides a reasonable explanation for the apparent discrepancy in the passage. By stating that there are many more low-budget movies produced than big- and medium-budget movies, it helps to explain how low-budget movies can contribute more to the industry's total revenue, despite big-budget movies often grossing two or three times their production and marketing costs.