DeshnajainOfficial Explanation
1. Which of the following statements best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
Explanation
This is a standard main idea question. The first paragraph contains the main ideas of the passage, primarily in its last sentence: “While many in the industry applaud this transformation as a beneficial use of technology that will improve products and profits, many observers are concerned that the long-term effects of these transgenic foods are still poorly understood.” The passage is concerned with discussing the expansion of the transgenic food business in America, while also stating the concerns of those who oppose this development. Answer choice A makes a correct statement, but it focuses primarily on the second paragraph and ignores the entire question of criticism, so it does not provide a good summary for the passage as a whole. Answer choice B is also too limited, and it is probably inaccurate in stating that “a majority … eat transgenic foods because of the benefits,” when it is unclear that many Americans are aware that they are eating transgenic foods. Answer choice C is incorrect because it makes a statement “transgenic foods have been proven unsafe,” that is not supported by the passage. Answer choice D, the correct answer, addresses the main themes of the passage in a balanced tone that is characteristic of the passage itself. Answer choice E focuses on a topic—the developing world—that is not a major focus of the passage.
Answer: D
2. The passage mentions each of the following as concerns raised by critics of transgenic foods EXCEPT:
Explanation
This is a supporting idea question. With an “all of the following EXCEPT” question, you need to find the relevant passage in the text and then eliminate all of the answer choices until only one possibility is left. In this case, the phrase concerns raised by critics should lead you to the third paragraph, which deals exclusively with these concerns. Answer choice A is a relatively close paraphrase of “Modified foods might have unintended consequences for the health of people who eat them.” Unintended and unforeseen are not exactly the same, but they are close enough that this is a very weak answer, so you should cross it off your list. Answer choice B is supported in the text by the example given in the previous paragraph, but this example is not given as a concern raised by critics; rather, it is an argument in favor of the efficacy of transgenic food organisms. Note this one as a likely correct answer, but you still need to eliminate the others to be sure. Answer choice C corresponds closely to, “Many critics have argued that the introduction of bioengineered foods … leaves small farmers and farmers in the developing world at the mercy of large corporations.” The statement in Answer choice D is a more specific example of the general criticism leveled in the first sentence: “Critics of bioengineering warn that we have no long-term studies on the effects of such manipulation of food organisms.” And Answer choice E restates the concern expressed in the sentence, “The modifications introduced into domesticated crops might spread into wild plant species, fundamentally altering the ecosystem.” Answer choice B is clearly the strongest answer.
Answer: B
3. Which of the following inferences drawn from the statements in the final paragraph, if accurate, might best explain the apparently contradictory finding that Americans voice concerns over transgenic foods in polls but consume these foods on a regular basis?
Explanation
This is an inference question that requires you to make a logical connection between two statements in the text that are not explicitly connected. Since the question specifies the “statements in the final paragraph,” you should focus on that paragraph and then determine which of the answers might best resolve the “apparently contradictory finding.” Answer choice A is an accurate reflection of a statement in the final paragraph, but it does not directly address the question. Answer choice B is outside of the final paragraph and fails to address the apparent contradiction, so it is clearly wrong. Answer choice C draws a connection between the final sentence and the statement, “biotechnology companies have so far successfully fought off all efforts to have transgenic foods labeled as such [i.e., (as genetically modified)]” in a way that could resolve the contradictory finding; mark this one as a strong possibility and move on. Answer choice D mentions an attempted ban that is found nowhere in the passage, so it is out of bounds and incorrect. Answer choice E is tricky, because it provides evidence for why people might not need to be concerned about transgenic foods, but it does not establish that this positive track record is well known, and it does not explain away the statement that “American consumers … consistently voice doubts about transgenic foods when asked about them on surveys.” Answer choice C is the strongest answer.
Answer: C
4. The relationship between a conventional potato and a “Bt potato” is most similar to which of the following?
Explanation
This is an applying information question. You have to determine what the relationship is between a conventional potato and a “Bt potato,” and then see which of the answer choices presents a corresponding relationship. From the information in the second paragraph, we know that a Bt potato is a potato that has been modified through a new kind of technology so that it has a potentially useful attribute—it is poisonous to insect pests but not to humans—that is not normally found in potatoes. Answer choice A presents a parallel situation: a car has been modified by technology so that it possesses a potentially useful attribute—the ability to fly—that is not normally encountered in automobiles. This looks like a strong answer, but you need to eliminate the other answer choices. Answer choice B presents a partially parallel situation—an item has been modified so that it is poisonous—but the addition of bleach does not correspond well to the modifying new technology of the Bt potato, and a bleached hamburger, unlike a Bt potato, is a completely useless item. Overall, B is a weaker choice than A. Answer choice C is partially parallel in that the second item may be more useful than the first, but there is no mention that the first was modified to produce the second, and the distinguishing attribute of the second computer, greater speed, is a difference in degree, and does not represent an entirely new attribute. Answer choice D is incorrect on similar grounds; a fatter chicken is just a variant on the old kind of chicken, rather than a chicken with an entirely new attribute. Also, it could be argued that selective breeding, since it is an old technology, is not a good match for the new technology that produced the Bt potato. Answer choice E is a poor choice because boiling and baking simply represent two different ways to prepare a potato; there is no mention of modifying technology or new attributes. Choices B, C, D, and E are all weaker than A, so A is the best choice.
Answer: A
5. The second paragraph plays what role in the passage?
Explanation
This is a standard logical structure question. In your initial reading of the passage, you may have noticed that the second paragraph takes a step back from the controversy mentioned at the end of the first paragraph—which is the chief concern of the last two paragraphs—in order to provide information about how the genetic engineering of food works and to provide an example of a transgenic product. This paragraph cannot be said to present an argument (Answer choice A), suggest that the hypothesis of the first paragraph is incomplete (Answer choice B), refute an argument (Answer choice C), or suggest a new way of looking at something (Answer choice D). The only answer choice that provides a reasonable description of the role of the second paragraph is E; the technical terms and example provided in E are relevant background information for the discussion of transgenic foods in the following two paragraphs.
Answer: E
6. The author’s attitude toward transgenic food can best be described as which of the following?
Explanation
This is a tone and style question. You can gauge an author’s attitude by the use of tone words with strong positive or negative connotations. This passage, however, has very little in the way of tone words, so you have to gauge the author’s attitude by the choice of information presented. The lack of overt tone words means that there is no reason to suspect that the author is “angry,” as in answer choice A. On the other hand, the author presents several concerns voiced by critics without refuting them, so the unreservedly positive terms “Accepting and optimistic” in Answer choice B cannot be correct. Answer choice C, “Enthusiastically ambivalent,” may not even be possible; in any event, the author does not seem truly enthusiastic about either of the sides in the argument. Answer choice D, “Interested but uncommitted,” does appear to be an accurate description, because the author is clearly interested enough in the subject to have written the passage, but he or she does not explicitly commit to either side. The terms in answer choice E are too strong in both directions; the author seems somewhat accepting of the developments in agriculture, but does not make any statements that could be characterized as “hopeful.” The author’s decision to enumerate the concerns of critics without fully refuting them suggests that the author could be suspicious, but there is no clear evidence that the author is necessarily suspicious. Answer choice D is the best answer. Note that D is the most moderate of the answer choices; this is characteristic of tone questions. ACT rarely permits the authors of passages to express strong emotions. When you see emotional terms like angry or enthusiastic in answer choices for this type of question, those choices are usually wrong.
Answer: D
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Updated on: 10 Apr 2020, 00:01
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