45.The tobacco industry is still profitable and projections are that it will remain so. In the United States this year, the total amount of tobacco sold by tobacco-farmers has increased, even though the number of adults who smoke has decreased.

Each of the following, if true, could explain the simultaneous increase in tobacco sales and decrease in the number of adults who smoke EXCEPT:

(A) During this year, the number of women who have begun to smoke is greater than the number of men who have quit smoking.

(B) The number of teen-age children who have begun to smoke this year is greater than the number of adults who have quit smoking during the same period.

(C) During this year, the number of nonsmokers who have begun to use chewing tobacco or snuff is greater than the number of people who have quit smoking.

(D) The people who have continued to smoke consume more tobacco per person than they did in the past.

(E) More of the cigarettes made in the United States this year were exported to other countries than was the case last year.

答案是A。

OG解释是假如戒烟的女人和开始抽烟的男人一样多的话，A将导致销量的增长。我想不明白的是B好像也可以这样推理，为什么B不对呢？

谢谢！

If the number of men beginning to smoke and the number of women quitting smoking during the year are equal, A would result in an increase, not a decrease, in the number of adults who smoke. Hence, A does NOT explain the facts cited and is the best answer.

关于这题ETS给出的解释，我还有两点疑问，希望大家帮忙解释解释~

ETS解释说A是正确的因为他不支持原句中的结论the number of adults who smoke has decreased.。因为如果开始吸烟的男人和戒烟的女人的数量一样多的话，那么吸烟的成人总数是不变的！可是这只是他们的一个假设啊！那我也可以做这样的假设。如果开始吸烟的女人比戒烟的男人要多，但是这一年戒烟的女人比开始吸烟的女人要多。那么吸烟的成年人总数还是下降的啊！！我觉得ETS用一个假设来说明这个选项没有解释句子中的结论有点牵强！因为吸烟的成人，包括吸烟和戒烟的男人，还有吸烟和戒烟的女人啊！

另外，C. During this year, the number of nonsmokers who have begun to use chewing tobacco or snuff is greater than the number of people who have quit smoking 如果nonsmoker开始吸烟的人数比戒烟的人多，这其中包括成年人，未成年人，男人和女人。我们再来做一个假设，如果这些刚刚加入吸烟行列的nonsmoker都是成年人的话，那整体的成年吸烟的人的数量不是应该增长吗？他怎么解释了成年吸烟人数下降这个结论？