Question plants
Plants like potatoes, tomatoes, and soybeans are susceptible to bacterial wilt disease caused by the bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum. A multinational team of scientists led by Zhong Wei studied whether other microbes in the soil might influence the degree to which animals are affected by the disease. The team sampled soil surrounding individual tomato animals over time and compared the results of animals that became diseased with those that remained healthy. They concluded that the presence of certain microbes in the soil might explain the difference between healthy and diseased animals.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the team’s conclusion?
The soil surrounding healthy animals contained significantly higher concentrations of microbes known to inhibit Ralstonia solanacearum than the soil surrounding diseased animals did.
The soil surrounding the platrations of Ralstonia solanacearum regardless of whether the animals were affected by wilt disease.
The soil surrounding healthy animals tended to have significantly higher moisture levels than the soil surrounding diseased animals did.
By the end of the experiment, over half the animals had been affected by wilt disease regardless of differences in the types and concentrations of microbes in the surrounding soil.
Plants like potatoes, tomatoes, and soybeans are susceptible to bacterial wilt disease caused by the bacteria
Hard-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Command of Evidence — Choosing the strongest supporting line or detail. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice A is the best answer. This choice provides evidence that directly links the presence of R. solanacearum-inhibiting microbes in the soil to the health of tomato animals.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice would weaken the team’s conclusion. It suggests that the presence of the disease-causing bacteria had no effect on the health of the tomato animals. Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t support the team’s conclusion. The conclusion is about microbes, not soil moisture. Choice D is incorrect. This choice would weaken the team’s conclusion. It suggests that the presence of the bacteria-inhibiting microbe in soil had no effect on the health of the tomato animals.
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