Plant scientists have used genetic engineering on seeds to produce cro

553. Plant scientists have used genetic engineering on seeds to produce crop plants that are highly resistant to insect damage. Unfortunately, the seeds themselves are quite expensive, and the plants require more fertilizer and water to grow well than normal ones. Accordingly, for most farmers the savings on pesticides would not compensate for the higher seed costs and the cost of additional fertilizer. However, since consumer demand for grains, fruits, and vegetables grown without the use of pesticides continues to rise, the use of genetically engineered seeds of this kind is likely to become widespread.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first supplies a context for the argument; the second is the argument's main conclusion.
B. The first introduces a development that the argument predicts will have a certain outcome; the second is a state of affairs that, according to the argument, contributes to bringing about that outcome.
C. The first presents a development that the argument predicts will have a certain outcome; the second acknowledges a consideration that tends to weigh against that prediction.
D. The first provides evidence to support a prediction that the argument seeks to defend; the second is that prediction.
E. The first and the second each provide evidence to support the argument's main conclusion.


Type: Bolded Statement
BID (Boil It Down): Although expensive now, engineered seeds likely to be popular
Conclusion: The use of genetically engineered seeds of this kind is likely to become widespread.
Evidence: Consumer demand for grains, fruits, and vegetables grown without the use of pesticides continues to rise.
Goal: Define the role of each statement, and the relationship between the two. Statement 1 tells us about an advance in seed tech to resist insect damage. Statement 2 reveals that most farmers won’t be financially advantaged by the technology.

Choice C is correct. The development introduced by the statement is the use of genetic engineering. The prediction is the conclusion: this use of genetically engineered seeds will become widespread. The second statement is that the farmers would not be compensated enough to use the genetically engineered seeds, which is a consideration that weighs AGAINST the prediction that the seeds will become widespread.

A. The first statement does provide context, but the second is not the conclusion, as shown in the analysis above.

B. The description of the first statement matches the correct choice well, but the second statement goes AGAINST the conclusion, as described in the explanation to the correct choice.

D. The first statement does not directly support a prediction, and the second statement is not a prediction.

E. The statements do not support the conclusion that the use of genetically engineered seeds is likely to become widespread. This is particularly true for the second statement, which supports the idea that the seeds might NOT become widespread.

C