For two years, the graph shows the total advertising revenue, in US dollars, by source (Source A, Source B, Source...
GMAT Graphics Interpretation : (GI) Questions
For two years, the graph shows the total advertising revenue, in US dollars, by source (Source A, Source B, Source C, and Source D) for all newspapers in the United States. No advertising revenue was from more than one source. A billion is equal to 1,000,000,000.
From each drop-down menu, select the option that creates the most accurate statement based on the information provided.
Owning The Dataset
Table 1: Text Analysis
| Text Component | Literal Content | Simple Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Time Period | For two years | Data covers a span of two years |
| Subject Matter | Total advertising revenue | Revenues from all ads in US newspapers |
| Geographic Scope | All newspapers in the United States | Only US newspapers included |
| Revenue Sources | Source A, Source B, Source C, and Source D | Each source listed separately, no overlap |
| Source Constraint | No advertising revenue was from more than one source | Each dollar of revenue belongs to one source only |
| Unit Definition | A billion is equal to 1,000,000,000 | All revenue figures are in billions of US dollars |
Table 2: Chart Analysis
| Chart Component | What's Shown | What This Tells Us |
|---|---|---|
| Chart Type | Stacked bar chart with 2 bars (one per year) | Visualizes both total revenue and each source's share over time |
| Y-axis | US$ (billions), ranges from 0 up to about 80 | Revenue values up to 76 billion per year |
| Bar Heights | Year 1: 76B, Year 2: 59B | Total revenue fell by 17 billion |
| Stack Order | Bottom (largest) to top (smallest): D, C, B, A | Source D most significant, Source A smallest |
| Source D | 39B (Year 1), 27B (Year 2) | Fell by 12B, majority of global decline |
| Source A | 2B (Year 1), 3B (Year 2) | Only source to increase |
Key Insights
- Total newspaper advertising revenue in the US decreased from 76 billion to 59 billion (a 17 billion drop) over two years.
- Source D contributed most to the decline, dropping by 12 billion, which is more than half of the total decrease.
- All sources declined in revenue except Source A, which increased from 2 billion to 3 billion.
- Despite its decline, Source D remained the largest single source of newspaper advertising revenue throughout both years.
Step-by-Step Solution
Question 1: Total Advertising Revenue Decline
Complete Statement:
From Year 1 to Year 2, newspapers in the United States had an overall decline in advertising revenue between _______ billion US dollars.
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: From Year 1 to Year 2
Meaning: This asks us to compare the two years presented in the chart.
Relation to Chart: We look at the total advertising revenue for both years shown as bars.
Important Implications: Only data from these two years is needed.
- Key Phrase: From Year 1 to Year 2
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: overall decline
Meaning: We need to find the decrease (not just the value) in total revenue over the years.
Relation to Chart: Subtract the Year 2 total from Year 1 total to find the difference.
Important Implications: The answer is not the actual values, but the difference.
- Key Phrase: overall decline
What is needed: The range the total decline in newspaper advertising revenue falls into from Year 1 to Year 2.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Estimate or read the total revenue for Year 1 and Year 2, then subtract to find the decline. - Necessary Data points:
Year 1 total revenue: 76 billion; Year 2 total revenue: 59 billion.- Calculations Estimations:
Decline = \(\mathrm{76 - 59 = 17}\) billion. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
17 billion falls within the '10 and 20' billion dollar range.
- Calculations Estimations:
FINAL ANSWER Blank 1: 10 and 20
Question 2: Source with Largest Contribution to Decline
Complete Statement:
More than half of this overall decline is a result of a decline from Source _______.
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: More than half of this overall decline
Meaning: We want to know which source's decline is greater than 50% of the total drop calculated previously.
Relation to Chart: Use the numbers from question 1 as a baseline and compare with each source's change.
- Key Phrase: More than half of this overall decline
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: decline from Source _______
Meaning: Determine the individual change in revenue for each source.
Relation to Chart: Check the heights or labeled values for each source's segment in both years to calculate the difference.
- Key Phrase: decline from Source _______
What is needed: Which source's decrease in advertising revenue accounts for more than half of the total decline.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Calculate the decline for each source, see which is over half the total decline. - Necessary Data points:
Total decline: 17 billion; Source D: declined from 39 billion to 27 billion (a decline of 12 billion); 12 > 8.5 (half of 17).- Calculations Estimations:
Source D's decline = 39 - 27 = 12 billion. 12 billion is more than half of 17 billion. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
Source D is the only source with such a large decline; it is the correct answer.
- Calculations Estimations:
FINAL ANSWER Blank 2: D
Summary
From Year 1 to Year 2, the US newspaper advertising revenue dropped by approximately 17 billion dollars, which lies in the '10 and 20' billion range. More than half of this drop was due to a 12 billion decline from Source D.
Question Independence Analysis
These questions are dependent: to answer Question 2, you must know the total decline from Question 1, since 'more than half' of that amount is needed to evaluate the answer.