Question 151·Easy·Inferences
Archaeologists excavating an ancient marketplace discovered an unusually large number of broken cooking pots in one vendor’s stall. Mixed among the pottery shards were numerous tiny glass beads—objects that were not present at other cookware stalls. Researchers think the stall owner may have mixed the beads into the clay so that, once fired, the pots would glitter slightly and appear more desirable to shoppers. From this evidence, the archaeologists most likely concluded that the high number of broken pots in the stall resulted from ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For “most logically completes the text” inference questions, first underline the key evidence and any unique details (here, the glass beads and the unusually high number of broken pots in one stall). Before looking at the choices, quickly predict the general kind of relationship or conclusion that would logically follow from those details. Then eliminate any options that (1) introduce new, unsupported information, (2) ignore the central evidence, or (3) don’t create a clear cause-and-effect or logical link to the details you identified. The correct choice will almost always echo or directly connect to the passage’s key specifics without adding invented facts.
Hints
Focus on the phrase that signals a conclusion
Look closely at the words “From this evidence” at the end of the passage. Your answer must be something the archaeologists could reasonably conclude only from the details given, not from outside assumptions.
Notice what is unique about this stall
Ask yourself: What specific detail about this stall is different from other cookware stalls in the marketplace, and how might that relate to the broken pots?
Connect the detail to the broken pots
Think about how the unique detail you identified (involving the pots’ composition or appearance) could logically explain why this stall had so many broken pots, instead of another stall.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
You are asked to choose the statement that most logically completes the text. The key phrase is “From this evidence, the archaeologists most likely concluded…” so the correct answer must:
- Be a conclusion (an inference), not a new random idea.
- Be based only on the evidence given in the paragraph.
- Explain why this stall had an unusually high number of broken pots.
Identify the key evidence in the passage
Pull out the important details:
- Archaeologists found many broken cooking pots in one vendor’s stall.
- Tiny glass beads were mixed among the pottery shards in that stall.
- These beads were not present at other cookware stalls.
- Researchers think the stall owner mixed the beads into the clay so the fired pots would glitter and look more desirable.
So this stall is unique in two ways: more broken pots and pots that contained glass beads.
Predict the kind of conclusion that fits
Ask yourself: If one stall has a unique feature (glass beads in the pots) and also has an unusually high number of broken pots, what conclusion would archaeologists most likely draw?
They would likely think there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the unique feature (glass beads in the clay) and the outcome (more broken pots). So the correct answer should:
- Connect the glass beads to the breaking of the pots.
- Stay within what is reasonable from the given information (no wild guesses about behaviors or locations that aren’t mentioned).
Check each answer choice against the evidence
Now compare each option to the passage:
- Choice A (vendor’s habit of smashing unsold pots): The passage never mentions this habit. It introduces a completely new idea and ignores the beads.
- Choice B (customers striking pots together): Again, nothing in the passage says customers did this, and it doesn’t use the key detail about glass beads.
- Choice C (stall’s location near the entrance): The passage never mentions where the stall is located. This is invented information.
- Choice D (glass beads making the pots more fragile than typical cookware, causing them to break easily): This option directly connects the unique feature (glass beads in the pots) with the high number of broken pots, forming a logical cause-and-effect conclusion from the given evidence.
Therefore, the best and most text-based completion is D) the glass beads making the pots more fragile than typical cookware, causing them to break easily.