Understanding the passage
In parts of South America, vitamin-A deficiency is a serious health problem, especially among children.
• There is a deficiency of Vitamin-A in parts of South America.
• This deficiency of vitamin-A is prevalent among children.
In one region, agriculturists are attempting to improve nutrition by encouraging farmers to plant a new variety of sweet potato called SPK004 that is rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.
• Agriculturists in one region are attempting something.
• They are trying to combat Vitamin A deficiency by improving nutrition.
• For this agriculturists are encouraging farmers to plant a new variety of sweet potato called SPK004.
• The new variety of SPK004 is rich in beta-carotene.
• And the body changes the beta-carotene 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.
• The agriculturists' plan has an excellent chance to succeed.
• Two reasons for the likelihood of success:
o Sweet potato is a dominant portion of the region's diet.
o The current variety of sweet potato contains little beta-carotene.
Conclusion: Agriculturists plan to encourage farmers to grow SKP004 to tackle Vitamin-A deficiency in certain parts of South America.
Pre-thinking
Strengthen Framework
What information will help us believe more in the conclusion?
Conclusion: Agriculturists plan to encourage farmers to grow SKP004 to tackle Vitamin-A deficiency.
Given that:
(i) There is a deficiency of Vitamin-A among children in some regions of South America.
(ii) Agriculturists are encouraging farmers to plant a new variety of sweet potato called SPK004, and this new sweet potato will likely combat the deficiency problem.
(iii) SPK004 is rich in beta-carotene.
(iv) SPK004 is a staple crop and diet of the region.
(v) The current variety of sweet potato has little beta-carotene in them.
Thought Process
From the information given in the passage, we can understand that the environmental conditions for growing the current variety of sweet potato are suitable in the region.
Also, since the current variety of sweet potato is a staple diet in that region, which means people of that region like to eat it. Thus, we can understand that the cultivation of the current variety of sweet potato is sufficient to form a staple diet.
Strengthener 1
The author does not explicitly mention anything about the environmental conditions required for growing SPK004. If the environmental conditions required for cultivating both types of sweet potato are the same, then the agriculturists’ plan has the likelihood of succeeding.
Therefore, a statement that indicates that the environmental conditions required for cultivating both types of sweet potato are the same. This would indicate that the environmental conditions for growing the new variety of sweet potato SPK004 are also suitable in that region.
This statement would support the agriculturists’ plan.
Strengthener 2
The author also does not mention whether the taste of both types of sweet potato will be the same. What if the taste of SPK004 is different from the current variety of sweet potato, and if the people of the regions do not like the taste of SPK004, therefore do not consume a sufficient quantity of SPK004 to fulfill their Vitamin-A deficiency?
Then the agriculturists' plan will not succeed.
Thus, a statement that indicates that the taste of the new variety of sweet potato is the same or better than the current variety of sweet potato would lend support to the agriculturists' plan.
Answer Choice Analysis
(A) The growing conditions required by the varieties of sweet potato currently cultivated in the region are conditions in which SPK004 can flourish.
• The statement in this choice in line with our pre-thinking assumption 1. Thus, this is the correct answer choice.
(B) The flesh of SPK004 differs from that of the currently cultivated sweet potatoes in color and texture, so traditional foods would look somewhat different when prepared from SPK004.
• We have no information to say that the look of the food will affect the taste or not. This option choice is irrelevant and is the incorrect choice.
(C) There are no other varieties of sweet potato that are significantly richer in beta-carotene than SPK004 is.
• This information is already given in the passage. The currently grown variety of sweet potato does not contain much beta-carotene. Also, a strengthener must bring in new information. Therefore, this choice is incorrect.
(D) The varieties of sweet potato currently cultivated in the region contain some important nutrients that are lacking in SPK004.
CORRECT• This choice gives a statement that would harm the agriculturists' plan because this statement implies that substituting the current variety of sweet potato with SPK004 will not be beneficial; therefore, this choice acts as a weakener and is not the correct choice.
(E) There are other vegetables currently grown in the region that contain more beta-carotene than the currently cultivated varieties of sweet potato do
• This option does not tell us whether the vegetables contain more beta-carotene than the new variety of sweet potato. Maybe even the beta carotene in the vegetables is not sufficient to tackle the problem of vitamin A deficiency. Thus, this choice is also incorrect.
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