Movie theaters in the United States have traditionally relied on concession sales—popcorn, candy, and drinks at inflated prices—to cover the negative differential between the cost of renting films from distributors and the revenue generated at the box office. In order for a movie theater to turn a profit, at least 90 percent of all moviegoers must buy at least one concession item. However, in recent years many health-conscious moviegoers have begun to eschew the high-fat and high-sugar concession items.

Which one of the following conclusions is best supported by the information above?

Question

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Movie theaters should offer concession items more in line with current demand or they will suffer financial losses.. Since moviegoers are beginning to avoid the current concession items, it stands to reason that movie theaters should begin to offer items more in line with moviegoers' tastes or risk losing out on the revenue required to earn a profit.

Choice A is incorrect because increasing the number of movies offered also increases the rental fees theaters must pay without ensuring any additional revenue.

Choice B's conclusion is unwarranted, because there is no guarantee that the theater will actually be able to attract enough moviegoers to fill the extra seats and generate additional ticket sales.

Choice D cannot be concluded, since the passage offers no information regarding moviegoers' clandestine behavior.

Choice E is too extreme. The passage does not suggest that theaters cannot turn a profit, but rather that they may encounter difficulty in doing so. Nothing rules out the possibility that theaters will respond to the changing tastes to successfully secure their profit margins.

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