RC Question 3 Explanation
DISCUSSION: For an inference question, you should try to justify your answer using lines from the passage. Many trap answers sound plausible but have no support from the text.
If you have trouble finding line references, then you should practice forming a mental map of the passage, and finding lines references on review. You can get much faster at it. Most of my students learn to find lines in 2-3 seconds, at most.
___________
- CORRECT. See lines 47-51.
- The author never said that digital publishing will be threatened. He presents its success as inevitable.
- The author never mentioned how retail would be affected by digital publishing.
- The author never made claims about all books. Maybe a very small number will require traditional publishing methods for best quality. And the author didn’t say digital publishing will increase sales compared to the old method. Rather, it will replace traditional publishing. Book sales might drop regardless, for other reasons.
- The author only says publishers can reduce shipping and warehousing costs. But authors presumably still have to market digitally published books.
Can you further discuss why C is wrong? I see in the second paragraph a discussion on retail changes so that is why I was stuck between A and C.
I’d push back slightly on Graeme’s explanation and agree with you that the passage does engage with retail, particularly in the second paragraph. That said, I think C is actually the opposite of what the passage supports.
The second paragraph emphasizes how digital publishing eliminates many of the costs associated with traditional publishing and retail, e.g. warehouses, shipping, and displaying books in stores. A “book retail business” (as in C) could reasonably include both physical and online retailers. But even if we take that broader view, the passage never suggests that digital publishing strengthens retailers. If anything, it points toward a reduced role for intermediaries altogether, especially with the introduction of on-demand printing and direct access to digital catalogs.
So while retail is mentioned, the claim that it will be “revitalized” goes beyond the passage and runs against its overall tone and direction.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have further questions.
Yes, thank you!