Question 140·Medium·Inferences
Farmers' markets have proliferated in recent years, yet they account for only a small fraction of total grocery sales. Advocates contend that, beyond direct transactions, markets play an outsized role in shaping buying habits by introducing shoppers to seasonal produce and preparation ideas, which ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT “complete the text” inference questions, first paraphrase the sentence in your own words and identify any key contrast words like “yet,” “however,” or “although.” Before looking at the choices, decide what kind of idea must fill the blank (cause, effect, contrast, example, etc.) by paying attention to words like “which” or “because.” Then test each option against the whole sentence, checking: (1) Does it logically follow from what comes before? (2) Does it avoid contradicting any stated facts (numbers, comparisons, or directions like encourage/discourage)? (3) Does it stay within the scope of what the passage discusses, without introducing unrelated claims? Eliminate any option that conflicts with earlier information or flips the logic, and choose the one that smoothly and *t
Hints
Locate the key contrast
Reread the first sentence and notice the word “yet.” What contrast is being made about farmers’ markets’ share of sales versus their influence on buying habits?
Focus on what “which” refers to
Look at the phrase right before the blank: “introducing shoppers to seasonal produce and preparation ideas.” The word “which” must describe what this introduction causes or leads to. Think about what people might do after being introduced to new foods and cooking ideas.
Check for contradictions with earlier info
Any answer that says farmers’ markets provide most of people’s food or that directly opposes the idea of learning about new foods should be suspicious. Compare each option carefully with the statement that farmers’ markets account for only a small fraction of total grocery sales.
Look for an effect that spreads beyond farmers’ markets
Advocates say markets matter beyond direct transactions. Which option describes a behavior that could influence how people shop in places other than the farmers’ market itself?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the main claim of the sentence
The sentence says:
- Farmers’ markets have grown in number.
- Yet they still account for only a small fraction of total grocery sales.
- Advocates contend that, beyond direct transactions (beyond what people buy at the market itself), markets play an outsized role in shaping buying habits.
So the missing part must explain how introducing shoppers to seasonal produce and preparation ideas changes their buying habits outside of just those market purchases.
Use the structure around the blank
Focus on the phrase:
"by introducing shoppers to seasonal produce and preparation ideas, which ______"
The word “which” refers back to the entire idea of introducing shoppers to seasonal produce and preparation ideas. The blank must describe what that introduction causes or leads to. It should describe a resulting behavior that explains the markets’ “outsized role in shaping buying habits.”
Check each option against earlier information
Now compare each option to the information we already know:
- Farmers’ markets are only a small fraction of total grocery sales.
- Advocates claim they still shape buying habits in a big way.
Ask of each choice: Does this sound like a realistic, logical effect of introducing shoppers to seasonal foods and preparation ideas, and does it fit with the fact that total farmers’ market sales are small?
Eliminate choices that contradict or reverse the logic
Go through the wrong answers first:
- A) Says supermarkets are compelled to discontinue nonlocal products. The sentence never mentions nonlocal vs. local products or supermarkets being forced to remove items; this goes beyond the text.
- B) Says most households get the majority of their food from farmers’ markets. That directly contradicts the first sentence, which says farmers’ markets are only a small fraction of total grocery sales.
- C) Says shoppers are discouraged from experimenting with unfamiliar foods. But if markets introduce shoppers to seasonal produce and cooking ideas, that would usually encourage, not discourage, experimentation.
After eliminating these, only one option remains that gives a positive, realistic effect that can spread beyond the market itself and help explain the claimed “outsized role.”
Select the choice that extends the influence beyond the market
The only remaining option, D) "in turn leads many shoppers to look for comparable items when they shop at supermarkets," logically completes the sentence. It shows that after people discover seasonal produce and new preparation ideas at farmers’ markets, they then seek similar items in supermarkets. This explains how farmers’ markets can have a large influence on buying habits even while accounting for only a small share of total grocery sales.