Question 137·Hard·Inferences
In a recent article, sociologist Maya Patel argues that the growth of urban community gardens is driven chiefly by residents’ desire for stronger social ties, not by an interest in lowering grocery expenses. Yet Patel’s own nationwide survey of community gardeners shows that a clear majority of respondents list “reducing household food costs” as their primary reason for participating. Patel’s survey results therefore suggest that commentators who uncritically accept her claim about social motives ____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT inference and completion questions like this, first restate the author’s main claim and then identify any evidence that supports or conflicts with it. Next, interpret the question stem carefully (for example, "uncritically accept" = accept without weighing evidence). Then test each choice by asking, "Does this logically describe what follows from accepting the claim, given the evidence we just saw?" Eliminate options that introduce new, unmentioned ideas or that flip the relationships (like primary vs. secondary). Usually, one choice will cleanly capture how the claim and the evidence fit—or clash—without adding anything extra.
Hints
Focus on the contrast in the passage
Identify how Patel’s claim about motives compares with what her survey results actually show. Are they aligned or in tension?
Think about "uncritically accept"
If commentators accept her claim uncritically, what are they not doing with respect to her own evidence?
Check how each choice uses or ignores the survey
For each option, ask: Does this choice correctly reflect the role of the survey data (what most gardeners list as their primary reason), or does it add ideas not mentioned in the passage?
Watch for new concepts
Be cautious of answer choices that bring in new kinds of data or claims (for example, about types of evidence or specific conclusions) that the passage never discusses.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the key claim and the key evidence
Patel claims that the growth of urban community gardens is driven chiefly by desire for stronger social ties, not by interest in lowering grocery expenses.
But her survey evidence shows that a clear majority of gardeners list “reducing household food costs” as their primary reason for gardening.
So there is a conflict: her claim emphasizes social motives, while her data emphasizes economic motives.
Understand what the question is really asking
The question asks what it suggests about commentators who uncritically accept her claim.
"Uncritically accept" means they agree with her claim without questioning or carefully considering the evidence. Since her own survey points in a different direction, these commentators are failing to take that conflicting evidence into account.
So we need a completion that describes how they are treating her evidence in a way that is logically problematic.
Test each answer choice against the passage
Go through the options and ask: Does this describe what is wrong with accepting Patel’s claim without question, given her survey?
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Choice A mentions assuming self-reported reasons are less reliable than observational data, but the passage never mentions any observational data at all. We only have survey responses, so this adds new information not in the passage.
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Choice B says they "discount the possibility that social and economic motives can coexist." The passage doesn’t discuss whether motives can coexist; the issue is which motive is primary, not whether both can be present.
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Choice C says they conclude that most gardeners see social interaction as secondary. But they actually accept Patel’s claim that social motives are chief, not secondary. This is the opposite of what they would think.
Only one remaining choice directly captures that they are ignoring her own survey’s suggestion that a different motive may be primary.
Match the best description to the situation
Since Patel’s survey shows most gardeners list reducing food costs as their primary reason, that evidence suggests economic considerations may actually be the main incentive. Commentators who still accept her claim about social motives without question are therefore overlooking that evidence.
So the best completion is that such commentators "overlook evidence indicating that economic considerations may be the principal incentive for many gardeners."