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#23652
Complete Question Explanation

Weaken—CE. The correct answer choice is (C)

This author begins by discussing the fact that sports foods, which are nutritionally similar to regular foods, are far more costly. The author concludes that athletes would not eat such foods were it not for the expensive advertising campaigns, asserting the following causal argument:
  • Cause ..... :arrow: ..... Effect
    ads ..... ..... ..... purchases
This stimulus is followed by a Weaken question, so we might want to look for the answer choice which provides an alternative cause driving the athletes' purchases of sports foods.

Answer choice (A): If this choice had any effect, it would be to strengthen the argument of the author, who asserts that the expensive ads which include those world famous athletes are the cause of athletes' buying the products.

Answer choice (B): The fact that both types of foods are available has nothing to do with the causal argument asserted in the stimulus, so this answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice, because it provides an alternative cause for the referenced purchases: convenience.

Answer choice (D): Like answer choice (A) above, this would not weaken the conclusion, and strengthens the premise that the two types of food are nutritionally equivalent.

Answer choice (E): Like answer choice (D) above, the only role this statement would have would be to strengthen the author's premise that sports foods and regular foods are basically nutritionally equivalent.

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