In parts of South America, vitamin-A deficiency is a serious health problem, especially among children. In one region, agriculturists hope to improve nutrition by encouraging farmers to plant a new variety of sweet potato called SPK004 that is rich in betacarotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. The plan has good chances of success, since sweet potato is a staple of the region's diet and agriculture, and the varieties currently grown contain little beta-carotene.

which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that the plan will succeed?

a. There are other vegetables currently grown in the region that contain more beta-carotene than the currently cultivated varieties of sweet potato do.
b. The flesh of SPK004 differs from that of the currently cultivated sweet potatoes in colors and textures, so traditional foods would look somewhat different when prepared from SPK004.
c. For successful cultivation of SPK004, a soil significantly richer in nitrogen is needed than is needed for the varieties of sweet potato currently cultivated in the region.
d. There are no other varieties of sweet potato that are significantly richer in beta-carotene than SPK004 is.
e. the currently cultivated varieties of sweet potato contain no important nutrients that SPK004 lacks.


i was debating between D and E, and ultimately chose D. I think they both equally support the prediction that the plan will succeed. OA to follow..

Thanks.

Agree with E with the same explanation as from icandy.

Agree with you, "no....lack" makes E nonsense, even go outside the scope.
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D has no effect since it merely repeats what we are already told. E, however states something we need to consider. Remember the conclusion states: "The plan has good chances of success" if E were false than how could the plan have good chances?

You do not want to introduce another deficiency by curing one.
Therefore,
(E)
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Kick GMAT ass

E is my answer. Here is why.

The argument is that planting this new potato will improve nutrition-- it's NOT saying that it will maximize nutrition. If you plant this variety, you WILL improve nutrition.

So D is a trap answer.

E works because if this new type of potato did lack certain vitamins currently provided by sweet potatoes, the increase in Vitamin A could boost nutrition, but then missing other vitamins might cancel it out and even negate it's effects, hence lowering overall nutrition...

Hence E must be the correct answer.
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Hades

E for me

@Hades
what you are doing here is negating the options.

Negating D: There are other varieties of sweet potato that are significantly richer in beta-carotene than SPK004 is.

Negating E: the current potato plants have important nutrients that the new plant lacks-- planting would increase Vitamin A, but then there would be a decrease in other important nutrients, hence it could potentially lower nutrition, not improve it. (ur lines)

Both weaken the plan.

can u pls help
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the argument is targeted @ improving the nutrition i.e vitamin A (only) thr SPK004. So,
Negating E: the current potato plants have important nutrients that the new plant lacks -- this definitely weakens the argument when we are considering all the vitamins (including A) . However, if we consider only vitamin A then this doesnt weaken the argument.

SPK004 is rich in vitamin A -- the main point of argument....its still true.

from Argument:
vitamin-A deficiency is a serious health problem, especially among children. In one region, agriculturists hope to improve nutrition (implicit : Vitamin A ) by encouraging farmers to plant a new variety of sweet potato called SPK004.
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Also, I would like to add some something else:

Negation test is applicable to Assumption questions. Strengthen the arguments may or may not pass/depend on the negation test.In strengthen the argument question we select the option which supports the argument -- better than the rest of the options -- doesn't matter if it is only 1% -- provided it's the only available option.


Pls correct me if i am wrong.
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Do not answer without sharing the reasoning behind ur choice
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Working on my weakness : GMAT Verbal
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