Literary Critics are Concerned by a Recent Trend in Book Publishing.

Question: Literary critics are concerned by a recent trend in book publishing. The sales of genre books—lowbrow fare, such as romance novels, that critics contend have little literary value—have increased dramatically over the last five years. In fact, an analysis of the books stocked in bookstores shows that the ratio of titles in the classic literature category—which includes books with high literary value by such authors as Dickens, Dostoyevsky, and Faulkner—to titles in the genre category has decreased over the same period. In addition, average sales per title in the genre category have increased greatly over the last five years. Critics fear that if current trends continue, genre books will dominate the market for fiction books, signaling a lamentable decrease in the quality of literature to which the average reader is exposed.

Which of the following pieces of information would be most useful in evaluating the validity of the critics claim about genre books potential domination of the market for fiction books?

1. the likelihood that current trends in the sales of books in the genre and classic literature categories continue
2. the amounts of sales, in dollars, for books in the genre and classic literature categories over the last five years
3. a comparison of sales revenues for nonfiction books and genre books over the last five years
4. sales revenues over the last five years both for genre books and for fiction books other than those in the genre or classic literature categories
5. a numerical estimate of the literary value contained in each of several representative titles of the genre book category

Literary Critics are Concerned by a Recent Trend in Book Publishing. – is a topic of GMAT verbal of the genre “Critical Reasoning”. This particular GMAT Critical Reasoning topic has been taken from the book ‘GMAT Official Guide Verbal Review, 2015’. In this particular topic, candidates need to choose the option that best suits the passage. GMAT critical reasoning tests the logical and analytical skills of the candidates. This topic requires candidates to find the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, or find the logical flaw in the argument. The GMAT CR section contains 10 -13 GMAT critical reasoning questions out of 36 GMAT verbal questions.

Answer: D
Explanation:
This is an Evaluate question. We are looking for an answer that resolves the gap in the argument. The answers are in general terms which don't give us a specific set of data. Hence, we won't know if the new evidence strengthens or weakens the conclusion, but it will always fill in a cap.

Now, we need to break down this argument. let us check the premise and the conclusion:

Premise 1: Sales of genre books have increased dramatically over the last 5 years.
Premise 2: The ratio of classics:genre has decreased.
Premise 3: Average sales per title of genre books have increased greatly.

Conclusion: if trends continue, genre books will dominate the market for fiction books.

Now, we will check each answer one by one. 

1. the likelihood that current trends in the sales of books in the genre and classic literature categories continue – This option will not prove the anxiety of the critics. This is not a relevant option and hence, incorrect.
2. the amounts of sales, in dollars, for books in the genre and classic literature categories over the last five years – The argument covers Genre and classic categories. Also, fiction is what interests us. Hence, this is not relevant.
3. a comparison of sales revenues for nonfiction books and genre books over the last five years – We do not need any information regarding the sales of Non-fiction book. This is also irrelevant and out of scope. 
4. sales revenues over the last five years both for genre books and for fiction books other than those in the genre or classic literature categories – Both genre and fiction book sales are concerned. If sales for fiction books has not diminished while sales for genre books increased, then fiction books market is apparently not affected by genre books. This is the correct option.
5. a numerical estimate of the literary value contained in each of several representative titles of the genre book category – The value is already determined in the argument. This is not the correct option.

Suggested GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions

• Rural households have more purchasing power than do urban or suburban households at the same income level
• Almost all of the residents of Lonelitown drink cheap bottled mineral water
• Scientists are discussing ways to remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by increasing the amount that is absorbed by plant life
• Start-up companies financed by venture capitalist have a much lower failure rate than companies financed by other means
• In comparison to the standard typewriter keyboard
• John is married to Jane
• Political Advertisement: Mayor Delmont's critics complain about the jobs
• Student: To improve business you should put up a sign offering a special deal of 12 croissants for only $3
• Alcohol-control advocates argue that television advertising plays a large role in leading teenagers to drink.
• A major network news organization experienced a drop in viewership in the week
• Because no employee wants to be associated with bad news in the eyes of a superior
• According To a Survey of Graduating Medical Students Conducted by Association of American Medical College
• Josh has twenty years of typing experience behind him
• Seeking a Competitive Advantage, Some Professional Service Firms
• Between 1980 and 2000 the sea otter population of the Aleutian Islands declined precipitously.
• Critics have Long been Puzzled by the Inner Contradictions of Major Characters in John Webster’s Tragedies.
• Few of the corporate contributions to the earthquake relief fund, aside from Pterocom
• If the books have been cataloged last week, why haven’t they been placed on the shelf?
• The Marison County Police Department recently implemented a new traffic safety program
• Irrigation runoff from neighboring farms may well have increased the concentration of phosphorus in the local swamp above previous levels