Self-study
Farmer: Because water content is what makes popcorn pop, the kernels must dry at just the right speed to trap the correct amount of water. ███ ████ ███ ██ ███████ ████ ██████ ██ ██ ████ ███ ███ ███ ███ ████ █████ ███ ████ ██ █████ ██ ███ ██████ ███ █ ██████ ███ ███ ████ ██ █ ██████ ██ █ █████ ███ █████
"Surprising" Phenomenon
Why does the farmer dry the kernels inside and not in the field?
Objective
A hypothesis resolving this discrepancy will state some advantage to drying the kernels indoors or some disadvantage to drying them in the field. This must be a good enough reason, in the farmer’s judgment, to dry the kernels indoors.
7.
Which one of the following, ██ █████ ████ █████ ██ ███████ ███ ████████ ███████████ ███████ ███ ████████ ██████ ███ █████████
a
The region in █████ ███ ██████ █████ ███████ ███████████ █ █████ ██████ ██████ ████ ██████ ███████ ██████ ███ ███████ ██ ██████ █████ █████ ██ ████
This explains why the farmer dries the kernels indoors. The weather is not sunny consistently enough for the sun to dry them in the field.
b
Leaving popcorn to ███ ██ ███ ██████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ███ █████ █████████ ██████ ██ ██████ ███
This widens the discrepancy. It is another reason for the farmer to dry the kernels in the field.
c
Drying popcorn on ███ ██████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ████ ███ ██ ███████ ███████ ████ █████ ███ ████████ █████ ███████ ██ █████ ██████████ ███████
This is necessary for the farmer’s choice to be sound, but not enough to resolve the discrepancy. Sun drying is the most effective method, so the farmer’s decision not to use that method remains a mystery.
d
When popcorn does ███ ███ █████████████ ██ ████ █████ ████ ███ ██ ████ ████ ███████ ███████ ██ ██ ███ ████ █████ ███████ ███████ ███████████
This offers no reason for the farmer to dry the kernels indoors. It implies that improperly dried kernels are functional, but gives no disadvantage to sun drying and no advantage to drying indoors.
e
If popcorn is ███████ ██ ███ ███ █████ ██ ████ ███ ████
This is not a disadvantage of sun drying, which is the best way to ensure the kernels trap “the correct amount of water.” It is not stated whether indoor drying or sun drying produces kernels with more water.