PrepTest 131, Section 2, Question 10
Chemical fertilizers not only create potential health hazards,(50 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(9 more words not shown)
- AEarthworms are highly(3 more words not shown)
- BChemical fertilizers destroy(1 more words not shown)
- CThe castings that(11 more words not shown)
- DThe use of(5 more words not shown)
- EA garden rich(14 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
The author wants us to avoid chemical fertilizers because they destroy helpful earthworms. The potential health hazards are another concern, but the author says the harm to earthworms is enough on its own.
Is that enough to settle the recommendation? Imagine that the fertilizers were the only way to grow enough food. Avoiding them might then mean famine, a consequence we'd have to weigh against their harms. That is a hypothetical challenge to the recommendation; the passage doesn't establish that we actually face that tradeoff.
What we’re looking for
The final sentence explains why earthworms matter: their castings enrich the soil, making gardens with earthworms more fertile. This supports the concern about killing them. It doesn't replace the recommendation with a new main point. We're asked for the main conclusion, so follow the support all the way to what the author wants us to do: avoid chemical fertilizers. That conclusion appears in the middle of the passage.
Working the answers
- A
The benefit earthworms provide is a reason to avoid something that kills them. The argument goes beyond describing that benefit and recommends avoiding chemical fertilizers. A stops at a supporting claim.
- B
Destroying earthworms is the harm offered in support of the recommendation. The author wants us to move from 'These fertilizers kill helpful earthworms' to 'We should avoid these fertilizers.' B gives the reason, not that final judgment.
- C
The richness of the castings explains why earthworms improve soil. That, in turn, explains why killing earthworms is a reason to avoid the fertilizers. C is a supporting detail within that chain.
- DCorrect
The use of chemical fertilizers should be avoided. That is the recommendation supported by the harm to earthworms and the explanation of why earthworms help a garden. We can identify the recommendation even if we still want to know whether other considerations might outweigh those harms.
- E
This is a conclusion drawn from the richer castings, but it serves a further purpose: explaining why earthworms are beneficial and why destroying them is undesirable. The main recommendation remains to avoid chemical fertilizers. Being stated last doesn't make the fertility comparison the main conclusion.
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