When North American farmers introduced Ethiopian wheat varieties to Montana and eastern Washington, these crops achieved remarkable yields in the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
When North American farmers introduced Ethiopian wheat varieties to Montana and eastern Washington, these crops achieved remarkable yields in the region's arid climate. Similarly, Southeast Asian rice strains flourished when planted in Louisiana's and Arkansas's humid zones. This agricultural success stems from environmental preferences these crops developed in their native regions: Ethiopian wheat originated in dry highlands where low rainfall was the norm, while Southeast Asian rice evolved in monsoon climates requiring abundant water and humidity. The persistence of these environmental requirements demonstrates how crops maintain their original climatic adaptations even when relocated to entirely different continents. It can therefore be inferred that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
crops grown in diverse environmental conditions tend to develop greater genetic resistance than those grown in uniform conditions.
environmental adaptations that crops develop in their native regions often persist when the crops are cultivated in new geographic areas with similar conditions.
there is a positive correlation between the genetic diversity of crop varieties and their ability to adapt to different climates.
agricultural yields tend to be higher when farmers plant crops that originated in regions with climatic conditions different from their own.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "When North American farmers introduced Ethiopian wheat varieties to Montana and eastern Washington, these crops achieved remarkable yields in the region's arid climate." |
|
| "Similarly, Southeast Asian rice strains flourished when planted in Louisiana's and Arkansas's humid zones." |
|
| "This agricultural success stems from environmental preferences these crops developed in their native regions:" |
|
| "Ethiopian wheat originated in dry highlands where low rainfall was the norm, while Southeast Asian rice evolved in monsoon climates requiring abundant water and humidity." |
|
| "The persistence of these environmental requirements demonstrates how crops maintain their original climatic adaptations even when relocated to entirely different continents." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Crops maintain their original environmental adaptations when moved to new locations, leading to success when the new environment matches their native conditions.
Argument Flow: The passage presents two parallel examples of crops succeeding in new locations, then explains that this success occurs because the crops maintained their original environmental preferences.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage shows a clear pattern: crops that developed specific environmental adaptations in their native regions continued to thrive when moved to new locations with similar environmental conditions
- The key insight is that these adaptations persist and lead to success when there's a match between original and new conditions
crops grown in diverse environmental conditions tend to develop greater genetic resistance than those grown in uniform conditions.
- Claims crops in diverse conditions develop greater genetic resistance than those in uniform conditions
- The passage doesn't compare diverse vs. uniform growing conditions
environmental adaptations that crops develop in their native regions often persist when the crops are cultivated in new geographic areas with similar conditions.
- States that environmental adaptations from native regions often persist when crops are moved to new areas with similar conditions
- This directly matches our passage pattern
there is a positive correlation between the genetic diversity of crop varieties and their ability to adapt to different climates.
- Discusses correlation between genetic diversity and climate adaptation ability
- The passage focuses on specific environmental preferences persisting, not on genetic diversity
agricultural yields tend to be higher when farmers plant crops that originated in regions with climatic conditions different from their own.
- Claims yields are higher when using crops from regions with different climatic conditions
- This reverses the passage's message