Question 148·Medium·Central Ideas and Details
In a six-week experiment, agricultural scientists grew three groups of tomato plants under different LED lights: red, blue, and white. Plants under blue light ended up the shortest but developed the thickest stems, while those under red light grew the tallest yet had fragile stems. The plants exposed to white light showed moderate height and sturdiness. Based on these outcomes, the researchers suggested that using a mixture of red and blue light could yield tomato plants that are both tall and robust.
According to the text, what strategy did the researchers propose to produce tomato plants that are simultaneously tall and sturdy?
For questions asking what researchers "proposed," "concluded," or "suggested," go straight to the part of the passage near those signal words (often near the end of a paragraph or passage). Once you find the sentence with the recommendation, restate it in your own words, then compare that paraphrase to each answer choice. Eliminate choices that (1) only repeat a result without being a recommendation, (2) focus on just one part of the problem when the question asks for two outcomes, or (3) introduce ideas not mentioned in the text (like new methods or conditions). This targeted approach saves time and keeps you anchored to the exact wording of the passage.
Hints
Find the researchers’ conclusion
Look for the part of the passage where the researchers move from describing the results to making a recommendation. Words like "suggested" or "based on these outcomes" can signal this.
Connect the results to the recommendation
Think about what each color of light did: one led to taller but fragile plants, and another led to shorter but sturdier plants. How might the researchers try to get the benefits of both?
Check each answer against the text
Ask yourself: does this choice clearly reflect what the researchers actually proposed in the passage, or does it only repeat one result or introduce a new idea not mentioned?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks for the strategy the researchers proposed to make tomato plants both tall and sturdy. This means you need to find where the passage describes what they suggested after observing the experiment—not just what happened during the experiment.
Locate the key part of the passage
Look for words like "suggested" or "based on these outcomes" because those often introduce a recommendation or conclusion. In the passage, the sentence that begins "Based on these outcomes, the researchers suggested..." is especially important.
Identify the researchers’ specific recommendation
That key sentence says the researchers "suggested that using a mixture of red and blue light could yield tomato plants that are both tall and robust." This is their proposed strategy for getting plants that are both tall (like those under red light) and sturdy (like those under blue light).
Match the idea to the answer choice
Now match that wording to the choices. The idea of using a mixture of red and blue light is best captured by A) Combining red and blue LED light during growth, which is the correct answer.