The question of whether a child's personality is the result of genetic

Question

Which of the following best completes the passage below?

The question of whether a child's personality is the result of genetic material inherited from the parents or the nurturing and environment provided by the parents is a perennial subject of debate. While no one would deny that environment and upbringing play some limited, superficial role, the genetic traits the child inherits provide the basic blueprint for who, and what, the child becomes. After all, if one plants tomatoes, _______.

A. one must tend them carefully, in order to gather good vegetables
B. one had better choose the variety and location with equal care
C. one will eventually get tomatoes, but not necessarily good tomatoes
D. one must expect tomatoes to grow, not cucumbers or daffodils
E. one must be sure to tend them well, regardless of the quality of the seeds used

I chose the answer C, since its more related to the line 'genetic traits the child inherits provide the basic blueprint for   who, and what  , the child becomes'. Could anybody explain why is OA better than that.

balaji4799 · Accepted Answer

Obviously, The confusion is between C or D. In my opinion option D is closer to the argument provided. Because, The argument is supporting the fact that genetic material is the key in shaping child's personality but not environment. This is rightly paralleled in option D which states sowing tomatoes gives tomatoes but not other things. Initially Even I was inclined towards C because, The child remains as the child only that his/her thoughts or personality is under debate. It is our general outside knowledge makes us think in a manner that environment would have an impact on child and hence sowing tomatoes gives tomatoes but not necessarily good ones due to of environmental impact. But as per the argument there is little or no environmental impact so sowing tomatoes gives tomatoes (the exact ones) but not daffodils or cucumber.

Also, more importantly the argument never mentions that the child becomes bad due to environment and upbringing. But option C does say that the tomatoes may end up as bad tomatoes. This is not correct hence D answer.

Please feel free to correct me. I am open to change and learn.
thanks
Balaji

Also, more importantly the argument never mentions that the child becomes bad due to environment and upbringing. But option C does say that the tomatoes may end up as bad tomatoes. This is not correct hence D answer.

Please feel free to correct me. I am open to change and learn.
thanks
Balaji

abhimahna · Answer

The passage emphasizes on the inherited traits than the nurturing and environment provided. See this line "the genetic traits the child inherits provide the   basic   blueprint for who, and what, the child becomes. ". This implies, we need to add something that would emphasis on Inherited Traits only. So, if we say "if one plants tomatoes", we need to say something that focuses on the Inherited traits. D is the best answer here. That supports the idea that inheritence is more important that the environment. Hope that helps.

atuladeupes · Answer

This is a question of proverb and parallel comparison.
Between C and D, D is the right choice. D clearly states similar meaning as previous statement.

ravikrishna1979 · Answer

If one plants tomatoes obviously one will get tomatoes but the variety or quality depends on environment

If parent has got trait, child will get the same, but how that trait is developed is based on environment.

But the answer choice of if one plants tomatoes , one will get tomatoes not cabbages is wrong. Because if parents has traits the kid will not get other trait cannot be concluded

A -> B is what is given, but not A-> Not B is incorrect.

Even if I parallel trait with tomatoes, traits from parents will go to children but it never said other traits will not come which is called her as cabbages.

Need please some one correct by thought and how my understanding is wrong.

guptarahul · Answer

A: one must tend them carefully, in order to gather good vegetables 
B: one had better choose the variety and location with equal care
C: one will eventually get tomatoes, but not necessarily good tomatoes
 D: one must expect tomatoes to grow, not cucumbers or daffodils
 E: one must be sure to tend them well, regardless of the quality of the seeds used

Nunuboy1994 · Answer

What this question is basically stating is that the personality of a child raises the question of the whole nature vs nurture debate. This question supports the nature argument, so which of these answer choices supports the fact that a tomato's development is the result of genetics? The difference between C and D is that D is saying that the tomato will inevitably become a tomato because of nature.

D

arvind910619 · Answer

Imo D 
The basic reasoning is that when you plant tomatoes you will get tomatoes after they grow and give harvest .
You can not not expect some other fruit to come out of seeds of tomatoes other than tomatoes .
We are not dealing with the quality of tomatoes so C is wrong

Sent from my ONE E1003 using  GMAT Club Forum mobile app

jaisonsunny77 · Answer

the genetic traits the child inherits provide the basic blueprint for who, and what, the child becomes. After all, if one plants tomatoes, _______.

The answer to this question lies in the sentence preceding the sentence with the blank: Genetic traits (the input) = blueprint of who the child becomes (the output, which is strictly controlled by the input).

Only (D) matches the tomato analogy drawn with the same ''input-output'' relation as described above.

D: one must expect tomatoes to grow, not cucumbers or daffodils

planting tomatoes (the input) = only tomatoes will grow (the output, which is strictly controlled by the input).

Therefore,    (D) is the right answer choice.

PS: If you feel like you need help with the CR/SC sections of the GMAT, please feel free to DM me.

sachingarGmat · Answer

I initially leaned towards C but then realized my mistake.

"While no one would deny that environment and upbringing play some limited, superficial role, the genetic traits the child inherits provide the basic blueprint for who, and what, the child becomes.  After all , if one plants tomatoes, _______. "

Here the author initially seeks to admit 2 roles in child's personality but then shifts towards genetics undermining role of environmental factors around the child. 
To emphasize, the author starts with "After all", which suggested an example to come where the author focuses on genetics and not on environmental factors.

Option D actually does that instead of C which still keeps environmental factors in contention.

The question of whether a child's personality is the result of genetic

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The question of whether a child's personality is the result of genetic

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