Passage 2
In the first half of the 1980s, it was conventional wisdom to say that the exceptional strength of the dollar was partly responsible for-and helped to offset-the increasing weakness of dollar-denominated commodity prices. 【All other things】 being equal, so the argument went, a subsequent 【fall in the dollar】 might be expected to give a compensating boost to dollar commodity prices.
41.Why should the "boost" have been compensating one?
It implies that the dollar commodity price once suffered a loss.