Question 164·Medium·Central Ideas and Details
Scientists have recently intensified their search for novel medical treatments in the world’s rainforests. One focus is the diverse fungi that inhabit decomposing wood and leaf litter. Laboratory tests reveal that many of these fungi produce compounds that inhibit the growth of bacteria resistant to existing drugs. As infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria become more common, researchers argue that identifying new antibiotics has become urgent. Because rainforest fungi have evolved in highly competitive environments, scientists believe they are especially likely to synthesize powerful antibacterial chemicals.
According to the text, why are rainforest fungi considered promising sources of new antibiotics?
For “According to the text” questions, locate the exact sentence that answers the question (often signaled by a word like “because”). Paraphrase that sentence, then pick the choice that matches your paraphrase without adding new ideas or contradicting what the passage states.
Hints
Stay text-based
Because the question says “According to the text,” the correct choice must be directly supported by a sentence in the passage.
Look for a “because” reason
Scan for the sentence that explicitly gives a reason (a cause) for why scientists think these fungi are promising.
Eliminate choices that add or contradict details
Cross out any option that introduces new claims (ease of sampling, nutrients) or changes what the lab tests show about drug-resistant bacteria.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence that gives the reason
The question asks for a reason given by the text, so look for a cause-and-effect statement explaining why rainforest fungi are promising.
Use the passage’s explicit cause-and-effect
The last sentence says: because rainforest fungi evolved in highly competitive environments, scientists believe they are especially likely to synthesize powerful antibacterial chemicals.
Match that idea to the choices
Choose the option that restates this reason without adding or changing details.
Select the supported choice
The choice that matches the passage is: They evolved in highly competitive environments, making them likely to synthesize powerful antibacterial chemicals.