PrepTest 137, Section 2, Question 1
Planting peach trees on their farm makes more(52 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(8 more words not shown)
- AFresh, locally grown(13 more words not shown)
- BApricot trees tend(12 more words not shown)
- CIt costs as(16 more words not shown)
- DThe market for(21 more words not shown)
- EPeach production has(7 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why peaches? Both fruits are popular, so popularity doesn't settle which trees the Johnsons should plant.
The lower purchase and planting costs give peaches an advantage. So does getting fruit sooner. But those aren't the only things that could matter. What if peach trees need so much more water that the water bill wipes out the initial savings? What if they start producing early but die quickly, forcing the Johnsons to keep replanting?
The amount of fruit matters, too. Imagine an apricot tree costs twice as much but produces ten times as much fruit. That could be a reason to prefer apricots despite their higher initial price. These are possibilities to investigate, not facts we've been given about the trees.
What we’re looking for
We need to weaken the recommendation. Look for a disadvantage of peaches or an advantage of apricots that makes us question whether peaches are the better choice overall. We can accept the two stated advantages and still question whether they outweigh everything else.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Apricots bring in much more money per sale. That gives the Johnsons a reason to consider them even though the trees cost more and take longer to start producing. The answer doesn't prove apricots will be more profitable overall; we would still need quantities, costs, and other details. But it supplies a direct financial advantage the recommendation leaves out. Earlier fruit isn't automatically more fruit, and neither automatically means more revenue.
- B
This favors peaches. If apricot trees stop producing sooner, that is another reason to question planting apricots. We were looking for a reason to doubt the recommendation, and B gives it additional support.
- C
Equal watering and fertilizer costs don't erase the peaches' lower purchase and planting costs. I wondered whether peaches might cost more to maintain. This answer tells us that these maintenance costs are the same, so it doesn't supply that objection.
- D
A growing apricot market sounds promising, but what about the peach market? It could be growing just as quickly or faster. We already know both fruits are popular. D gives us no clear reason to favor apricots over peaches, whereas A directly compares their selling prices.
- E
Why has production fallen? If peaches have become hard to grow, that might matter. But fewer competing peach growers could also let the Johnsons charge more. The answer gives neither explanation. A decline in production alone doesn't establish a disadvantage to planting peach trees.
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