Explanation

Reading the question: we'll start each explanation with a description of how might have approached the question, or what your first impression might have been. These impressions will often be different from the ones you had--that's to be expected--but they give a realistic picture of how an expert engages the question. Throughout the book, we'll refer to the "stem" as the final line of text just above the answer choices. Everything above the stem is the "prompt" (because it prompts you, as if every GMAT question gave you a little poke when you started). We can actually start with the question stem. Any order is fair game; you are the ultimately the boss of your GMAT strategy. In 90% or more of Critical Reasoning questions, you'll want to read the prompt and the stem in some order and attempt to create a "filter" (per step one of the strategy) before turning to the answer choices.

Creating a filter: the stem reads, "the argument is flawed primarily because the author..." We can see that our objective is to find a flaw in the argument. Since we have a brief argument, we can employ term matching to compare words in the evidence and the conclusion.



The argument proceeds as if these terms are equal, but they are not. For example, purchasing and listening are not the same thing, but the argument proceeds as if they are. We now have a way to filter the answer choices: we will look for an answer choice that highlights either mismatch as a flaw.

Applying the filter: Choice (A) does this, so (A) may be our answer. Choice (B) states something that isn't really true; if drivers over 30 buy more, drivers under 30 buy less. Choice (C) contradicts the prompt, which presents us with facts, for the purpose of the argument, so (C) is out. Choice (D) is irrelevant to our understanding of this argument. Choice (E) states something that is true but which is not a flaw of the argument, since the argument is about digital music, not other music. We have opted for one answer choice and against for all the others, so we are done. The correct answer is (A).