medium · GRE Verbal

Umbrella sales in a coastal town typically rise during the rainy season. Last year, however, umbrella sales fell during the rainiest month on record, even as raincoat sales rose sharply. A local retailer noted that an unusually strong windstorm that month made umbrellas impractical, pushing shoppers toward raincoats instead. Which choice best describes the primary purpose of the passage?

1. To describe an unexpected sales pattern and offer a specific explanation for it.
2. To argue that raincoats are generally more popular than umbrellas in coastal towns.
3. To criticize the retailer for miscalculating expected umbrella demand.
4. To compare rainfall levels across several different coastal towns.
5. To prove that windstorms always reduce umbrella sales.

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