Question

Auctions in recent years have resulted in higher prices paid for letters written by John Wilkes Booth than those written by Abraham Lincoln. Which of the following events would cause the price differences in these letters to get smaller?

A letter written by Abraham Lincoln sold for a higher price than a letter written by John Wilkes Booth.
A letter written by John Wilkes Booth sold for a higher price than a letter written by Abraham Lincoln.
A letter written by Abraham Lincoln was sold for a higher price than a letter written by Adam Smith.
A letter written by John Wilkes Booth sold for a higher price than a letter written by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Answer 1

A letter written by Abraham Lincoln sold for a higher price than a letter written by John Wilkes Booth.

Step-by-step explanation:

Letters written by Adam Smith or Lee Harvey Oswald do not concern the present problem and thus the last two alternatives can be ruled out.

If the desired effect is to decrease the differences between the prices paid for letters written by John Wilkes Booth and the price of those written by Abraham Lincoln, letters written by Lincoln should be sold for a higher price than letters written by Booth.

Therefore, the answer is: A letter written by Abraham Lincoln sold for a higher price than a letter written by John Wilkes Booth.