PT156.S1.P1.Q7 > Analytics

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Because most agricultural practices in North America produce row after row of only a few, genetically identical, varieties of crops, the continent's food system rests precariously on a rapidly eroding genetic base, increasingly susceptible to pests and disease. ███

Problem · Crop system precarious

Because crops are genetically homogeneous

Potential Solution · Conserve genetic info of heirloom varieties

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Challenges · Farming methods unsuited to conservation

Details of Solution · Indigenous techniques

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Technique and Advantage · Hybridization

Resistence to pest and disease

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Technique and Advantage · Environmental fit

Less intensive irrigation

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Details of Solution · Heirloom varieties persisted over time

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Threat to Solution · fewer small farmers and breakdown of exchange networks

Call to Action · Must preserve indigenous knowledge

Passage Style

Problem-analysis

Single position

The author would be most ██████ ██ █████ ████ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██████████ █████ ███ ████ ███████████ █████████ ██ ███ ██████████████ ████████ ██ ███ █████ ██████████

Question Type

Author’s perspective

Implied

It’s difficult to make a strong prediction just based on the question stem. If we’re keeping in mind the main point of the passage, we know that the author would agree that those geneticists should try to learn indigenous methods for maintaining heirloom crops. But let’s keep an open mind.

They have been ███ ███████ ██ ███████ ███████ ███████ ██ ████████ ███ ██████ ████████████ ███████

Supported by the statement that these geneticists have “tended to base their research and their thinking solely on agricultural methods” that “seek to maximize the land’s output for economic reasons.” It’s fair to say the author believes these geneticists have been “too” willing, because the author thinks their focus should not be primarily on economic output. Instead, preserving diversity of crop genetics should be important, too.

59%

They are focused ██ ██████████ ████ ██████████ ██ ███ ███████ ██ █████ ████████

The author never claims that the geneticists’ focus on maximizing crop production hurts small farmers. In fact, small farmers are not necessarily harmed by attempts to maximize output. What is harmed by such efforts is the practice of maintaining heirloom varieties. Another thing that’s harmed is the strength of crops against pests and disease. But small farmers might benefit financially from focusing on maximizing crop production.

They have not ████████████ ███ ████████ ██ ████████████ ███ ████ ███████ █████

Not supported, because the geneticists have recently recognized indigenous knowledge of heirloom varieties as valuable. The geneticists are turning to heirloom varieties as a “possible solution” to the eroding genetic base of North American crops.

They are interested ██ ████████ ████ █████████ ███████ ████ ████ ████████ ████████ ████ ███████

Not supported, because their interest in heirloom varieties relates to the diversity of heirloom varieties’ genetics. The geneticists are turning to heirloom varieties as a “possible solution” to the eroding genetic base of North American crops.

19%

They continue to ██████ ████████ ████ █████████ ██ █████ ██ ██████████ ██████████

Not supported, because the geneticists have recently recognized indigenous knowledge of heirloom varieties as valuable.

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PrepTest 156 - Section 1 - Passage 1 - Question 7

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PrepTest 156 - Section 1 - Passage 1 - Question 7

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