Comprehension

The table below shows the number of independent bookstores in various cities. For each of the following statements, select True if the statement can be verified as true based on the information provided. Otherwise, select False.  

CityBookstores (2024)Bookstores (2023)
Asheville5145
Austin8082
Boston8487
Chicago7270
Denver7674
Minneapolis6558
Portland10090
San Francisco7068
Seattle8885
Question: 1

Asheville had the highest percentage increase in the number of independent bookstores from 2023 to 2024.

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When comparing percentage changes, be mindful of the base value (the denominator). A smaller base can lead to a larger percentage change even for a small absolute increase.
Updated On: Sep 30, 2025
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
We need to calculate the percentage increase for each city that saw an increase in the number of bookstores and then compare these percentages to find the highest one.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
\[ \text{Percentage Increase} = \frac{\text{New Value} - \text{Old Value}}{\text{Old Value}} \times 100% \] Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
We only need to calculate the percentage increase for cities where the number of bookstores grew from 2023 to 2024.


Asheville: \( \frac{51 - 45}{45} \times 100% = \frac{6}{45} \times 100% = \frac{2}{15} \times 100% \approx 13.33% \)

Chicago: \( \frac{72 - 70}{70} \times 100% = \frac{2}{70} \times 100% = \frac{1}{35} \times 100% \approx 2.86% \)

Denver: \( \frac{76 - 74}{74} \times 100% = \frac{2}{74} \times 100% = \frac{1}{37} \times 100% \approx 2.70% \)

Minneapolis: \( \frac{65 - 58}{58} \times 100% = \frac{7}{58} \times 100% \approx 12.07% \)

Portland: \( \frac{100 - 90}{90} \times 100% = \frac{10}{90} \times 100% = \frac{1}{9} \times 100% \approx 11.11% \)

San Francisco: \( \frac{70 - 68}{68} \times 100% = \frac{2}{68} \times 100% = \frac{1}{34} \times 100% \approx 2.94% \)

Seattle: \( \frac{88 - 85}{85} \times 100% = \frac{3}{85} \times 100% \approx 3.53% \)

Step 4: Final Answer:
Comparing the calculated percentages, Asheville's increase of approximately 13.33% is the highest. Therefore, the statement is true.
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Question: 2

Austin and Boston were the only cities that saw a decline in the number of independent bookstores between 2023 and 2024.

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For questions asking for "only," "all," or "none," be sure to check every single data point to confirm the condition holds universally as stated. A single exception would make the statement false.
Updated On: Sep 30, 2025
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
We need to examine the data for each city and identify which ones experienced a decrease in the number of bookstores from 2023 to 2024.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's check the change for each city by comparing the 2024 value to the 2023 value.


Asheville: 51 (2024) > 45 (2023) \(\implies\) Increase

Austin: 80 (2024) < 82 (2023) \(\implies\) Decline

Boston: 84 (2024) < 87 (2023) \(\implies\) Decline

Chicago: 72 (2024) > 70 (2023) \(\implies\) Increase

Denver: 76 (2024) > 74 (2023) \(\implies\) Increase

Minneapolis: 65 (2024) > 58 (2023) \(\implies\) Increase

Portland: 100 (2024) > 90 (2023) \(\implies\) Increase

San Francisco: 70 (2024) > 68 (2023) \(\implies\) Increase

Seattle: 88 (2024) > 85 (2023) \(\implies\) Increase

Step 3: Final Answer:
Only Austin and Boston saw a decline in the number of bookstores. Therefore, the statement is true.
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Question: 3

San Francisco accounted for less than 10% of the total independent bookstores across all listed cities in 2024.

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For "percent of total" questions, you don't always need to calculate the exact percentage. You can often save time by calculating the threshold value (e.g., 10% of the total) and simply comparing it to the part.
Updated On: Sep 30, 2025
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
We need to calculate the total number of bookstores across all cities in 2024 and then find the percentage that San Francisco's bookstores represent out of this total.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
First, sum the number of bookstores for all cities in 2024: \[ \text{Total}_{2024} = 51 + 80 + 84 + 72 + 76 + 65 + 100 + 70 + 88 \] \[ \text{Total}_{2024} = 686 \] The number of bookstores in San Francisco in 2024 is 70.
Now, calculate the percentage: \[ \text{Percentage}_{SF} = \frac{\text{SF Bookstores}}{\text{Total Bookstores}} \times 100% = \frac{70}{686} \times 100% \] To check if this is less than 10%, we can compare 70 to 10% of 686.
\[ 10% \text{ of } 686 = 0.10 \times 686 = 68.6 \] Since 70 is greater than 68.6, San Francisco accounted for more than 10% of the total.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The statement that San Francisco accounted for less than 10% is false.
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