Q16

[Laura Damone]

16. (B)
Question Type: Synthesis (23-31, 51-53)

This question asks us to identify a difference between two populations addressed in the passages. Since the third paragraph of Passage B tells us that the Ban Chiang ate cultivated foods, and the populations mentioned in the last paragraph of Passage A are referred to as "nonagricultural", meaning they did not cultivate foods, (B) is the correct answer


(A) is contradicted. The populations in the last paragraph of Passage A did consume cariogenic foods. They didn't cultivate them, but they did consume them.
(C) is unsupported. We have no evidence that either population ate a primarily carbohydrate diet.
(D) is also unsupported because we have no evidence that either had high levels of tooth wear.
(E) is also unsupported, since no foods discussed in either passage are "highly processed."

[houngkevin]

Hi Laura,

I agree with all of your points. However, I disagree slightly for your explanation for (E) as being incorrect. While I do agree that (E) is incorrect I do not agree for the reasons you mentioned. Whether the Ban Chiang population consumed highly processed foods or not is uncertain. However, the population discussed in the last paragraph in passage A did in fact eat highly processed stone-ground floor (line 27).

[farhadshekib]

Here is my take on it:


A _ Lines 29-30 suggest that the Hopi had food with high cariogenic potential.

C _ Lines 64-65 suggest that the "diet in the Late period remained varied enough that no single food dominated". So, no.

D _ No support what-so-ever.

E _ Lines 27 suggest that "early non-agricultural populations in western North America consumed large amounts of highly processed foods".

[maryadkins]

Yes, the group mentioned at the end of passage A consumed highly processed foods (line 27). The Ban Ching we have no idea about. (E) states the opposite of this. Good catch!

[timsportschuetz]

Is answer choice (C) mainly wrong due to the fact that only passage B mentions carbohydrates and the last paragraph of passage A does not at all? How could (C) be correct if only one of the referenced areas of the passages mentions carbohydrates?

[christine.defenbaugh]

Is answer choice (C) mainly wrong due to the fact that only passage B mentions carbohydrates and the last paragraph of passage A does not at all? How could (C) be correct if only one of the referenced areas of the passages mentions carbohydrates?

You are absolutely correct to note that Passage A's third paragraph never specifically mentions carbohydrates - and that means we have no idea whether the diet of these groups consisted of primarily carbs or not!

That's a rock solid reason to eliminate (C) here.

Just as solid a reason would be to note that while the Ban Chiang increased their reliance on agriculture, Passage B never indicates that their diet consisted primarily of carbohydrates at any point. In fact, the author makes a point that the diet "remained varied enough that no single food dominated" (lines 65-66).

We don't know whether either group's diet consisted primarily of carbohydrates!

Let me know if that completely answers your question!