题目
Although the discount stores in Goreville’s central shopping district are expected to close within five years as a result of competition from a SpendLess discount department store that just opened, those locations will not stay vacant for long. In the five years since the opening of Colson’s, a nondiscount department store, a new store has opened at the location of every store in the shopping district that closed because it could not compete with Colson's.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
选项
A.Many customers of Colson’s are expected to do less shopping there than they did before the SpendLess store opened.
B.Increasingly, the stores that have opened in the central shopping district since Colson’s opened have been discount stores.
C.At present, the central shopping district has as many stores operating in it as it ever had.
D.Over the course of the next five years, it is expected that Goreville’s population will grow at a faster rate than it has for the past several decades.
E.Many stores in the central shopping district sell types of merchandise that are not available at either SpendLess or Colson's.
解析
虽然由于一家刚开业的SpendLess折扣百货商店的竞争,Goreville中心购物区的折扣商店预计将在五年内关闭,但这些位置不会长期空置。自从非折扣百货商店Colson开业后的五年里,在该购物区因无法与Colson竞争而关闭的每家商店的位置上都开了一家新商店。
- **论据**:在Colson(非折扣店)开业后的五年内,因它竞争而倒闭的商店位置都开了新商店。
- **论点**: 虽然SpendLess折扣店的竞争会让Goreville中心购物区的折扣店在五年内倒闭,但这些位置不会长期空置。
- **正确答案方向**:需要找到能削弱该论证的选项,即说明这些因折扣店竞争而倒闭的商店位置与之前因Colson竞争而倒闭的商店位置情况有不同,或者存在某些因素会导致这些位置难以像之前那样很快有新商店入驻等。
- **A选项**:预计许多Colson的顾客在SpendLess开业后在Colson的购物量会比以前减少。该选项讨论的是Colson顾客的购物量变化,与因折扣店竞争而关闭的商店位置是否会长期空置这一论点无关,不能削弱,排除。
- **B选项**:自Colson开业以来,在中心购物区新开的商店越来越多是折扣店。由于之前因Colson(非折扣店)竞争倒闭的商店位置新开的多是折扣店,而现在是折扣店之间的竞争导致一些折扣店倒闭,这些位置就不太容易像之前那样很快有新的商店(尤其是折扣店,因为已经有强大的SpendLess折扣店存在)入驻,从而削弱了“这些位置不会长期空置”的论点,该选项正确。
- **C选项**:目前,中心购物区的运营商店数量和以往一样多。中心购物区整体商店数量与因折扣店竞争而关闭的商店位置是否会长期空置并无直接关联,不能削弱,排除。
- **D选项**:在未来五年内,预计Goreville的人口增长速度将比过去几十年都快。人口增长快不一定能说明这些因折扣店竞争而关闭的位置就会有新商店入驻,无法直接削弱论点,排除。
- **E选项**:中心购物区的许多商店销售的商品类型在SpendLess和Colson都没有。所售商品类型与这些因竞争而关闭的商店位置是否会长期空置无关,不能削弱,排除。
综上所述,正确答案是B选项。