GRE考试形式：中国大陆地区、香港、澳门、韩国目前执行分开考试的形式。由机考（分析性写作）和笔试（语文、数学）组成。
Argument 99
The following appeared in a memorandum from the owner of Armchair Video, a chain of video
rental stores.
"Because of declining profits, we must reduce operating expenses at Armchair Video's ten
video rental stores. Raising prices is not a good option, since we are famous for our special
bargains. Instead, we should reduce our operating hours. Last month our store in downtown
Marston reduced its hours by closing at 6:00 P.M. rather than 9:00 P.M. and reduced its overall
inventory by no longer stocking any film released more than two years ago. Since we have
received very few customer complaints about these new policies, we should now adopt them
at all other Armchair Video stores as our best strategies for improving profits."
In this memo the owner of Arrnchair Video concludes that in order to boost sagging profits
Armchair's stores should eliminate evening operating hours and should stock only movies that
are less than two years old. To support this conclusion the owner points out that since
250
Armchair's downtown Marston store implemented these changes, very few customers have
complained. The owner's argument relies on several unsubstantiated assumptions, and is
therefore unconvincing as it stands.
In the first place, implicit in the argument is the assumption that no other means of boosting
profits is available to Armchair. While the owner has explicitly ruled out the option of raising its
rental rates, the owner ignores other means, such as selling videos, or renting and selling
compact discs, candy, and so forth. Without considering such alternatives, the owner cannot
justifiably conclude that the proposed changes are the only ways Armchair can boost its
profits.
A second problem with the argument is that it assumes that the proposed changes would in
fact enhance profits. It is entirely possible that the lost revenue from reducing store hours
would outweigh the savings in reduced operating costs. Perhaps Armchair customers are
attracted to the stores' wide selection and Variety of movies, and that Armchair would lose their
patronage should it reduce its inventory. Moreover, common sense informs me that video
rental stores do most of their business during evening hours, and therefore that the proposed
action would act~:aily result in a further decline in profits.
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