Question 158·Medium·Inferences
For years, culinary historians have debated whether the distinctive “smoky” flavor associated with ancient clay-pot cooking came from the porous clay itself or from the wood fires used with the pots. To test this, researchers baked identical loaves of bread in newly made clay pots and in steel pots, alternating between wood-fired and electric ovens. In blind taste tests, participants frequently described bread baked in clay pots in an electric oven as “earthy” but not “smoky,” and bread baked in steel pots in a wood-fired oven as “smoky” but not “earthy.” Bread baked in clay pots in a wood-fired oven was often called both “earthy” and “smoky.” These results most strongly support the inference that ____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For inference questions about experiments, first restate the research question in your own words, then quickly tabulate conditions and outcomes (e.g., what flavor appears with which pot and which oven). Look for consistent patterns—"always," "never," or "only when"—that link a result (like a flavor) to a specific factor (like wood fire vs. clay pot). Finally, eliminate choices that (1) contradict the pattern, (2) make claims the data never address (like comparing effectiveness when no such comparison was given), or (3) go beyond the narrow question asked in the first sentence. Focus on what the data must imply, not on what they might suggest.
Hints
Track when each flavor appears
Make a quick mini-table: note for each combination (clay/electric, clay/wood, steel/electric if given, steel/wood) whether tasters reported "smoky," "earthy," both, or neither.
Separate the roles of clay and wood
Look for which flavor always appears when clay is used, and which flavor always appears when a wood-fired oven is used. This helps you see what each factor contributes.
Match your conclusion to the question
The first sentence asks specifically about the source of the smoky flavor. Once you know which condition always produces "smoky," pick the answer that best describes that pattern without adding extra claims the data do not support.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate what the experiment is testing
The passage explains that historians are unsure whether the smoky flavor in ancient clay-pot cooking comes from the clay pots themselves or from the wood fires used with them. The experiment is designed to separate these two factors by changing pot material (clay vs. steel) and oven type (wood-fired vs. electric).
Match each flavor to the condition that causes it
List the results:
- Clay pot + electric oven: described as "earthy" but not "smoky".
- Steel pot + wood-fired oven: described as "smoky" but not "earthy".
- Clay pot + wood-fired oven: often called both "earthy" and "smoky".
From this pattern:
- "Earthy" shows up whenever there is a clay pot (with either oven type).
- "Smoky" shows up whenever there is a wood-fired oven (with either pot type).
Decide what the results imply about the smoky flavor
Focus on the smoky flavor question from the first sentence: is it due to the clay or the wood fire?
- Clay alone (clay + electric) does not produce smoky flavor.
- Wood fire alone (steel + wood) does produce smoky flavor.
- When both are present (clay + wood), smoky is still there.
So the best conclusion is that the smoky flavor follows the wood fire, not the clay pot material.
Choose the option that matches this inference
Now compare each choice to the conclusion from Step 3:
- We need a choice that says the smoky flavor mainly comes from the wood fire, not the clay.
Choice D states that "the smoky flavor is primarily imparted by wood fires rather than by clay pots." This matches the experimental pattern and is therefore the correct answer.