(A)
When companies want to launch a new product or service, they first conduct a statistical survey of the market. This is important to find out if the new product or service will be accepted by consumers. Random sampling is one statistical method that is widely used in market research. Since it is impossible to collect data from everyone, market research companies divide the population into
groups. They consider factors such as age, gender, location, and income level. A certain number of people from each group are interviewed to find out their specific likes and dislikes. People are selected “at random” from telephone directories or subscription lists.
However, there really is very little that is random about random sampling since market researchers need to carefully consider the kind of consumer group, the number of people to be interviewed, and the questions to be asked. In fact, random sampling is done quite deliberately. This is because statistical analysis of the data that is collected is conducted to determine the potential sales of a product or service. An accurate statistical analysis of sampling results allows companies to understand the market better. Errors in statistical analysis of sampling results can lead to a company making a large investment in the wrong product. Such decisions can have devastating effects on the future of the company. Statistically wrong information published by a company can also mislead consumers into buying a product. Therefore; in order not to lose consumers’ trust and to sell a product effectively, companies must conduct a carefully considered “random” sampling.
(B)
(B)
More and more people spend their working day seated at a desk in front of a computer. This means they have to sit for many hours every day, which is likely to have a negative long-term impact on their health. Indeed, various studies claim that sitting too long can lead to health problems such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. “Faced with these problems, some office workers are turning to the new idea of a “treadmill” desk.” This is a system that allows a person to work while walking on a treadmill. Already, several major companies are introducing treadmill desks at their offices.
James Levine, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, came up with the idea of the treadmill desk. His research found that slim people tend to burn about 350 more calories a day than those who are overweight, by doing small actions throughout the day. Dr. Levine realized that just by walking slowly, a person could use up around 100 to 130 calories an hour. Based on this, he created a simple desk that would allow a person to walk slowly while also getting work done.
The idea of walking and working at the same time might sound strange, but people who have tried the treadmill desk say that it soon feels natural. Moreover, some say that it actually improves their ability to focus on work: For people who are too busy with work to exercise during the day, the treadmill desk might be the ideal solution.
