Question 51·Hard·Inferences
Residue analysis of 2,000-year-old ceramic cups from a desert archaeological site in what is now southern Arizona detected theobromine and caffeine, chemical markers uniquely associated with cacao beans. Botanical remains recovered from the same layers include seeds and pollen of drought-tolerant plants native to the region but none from cacao, a tree that today grows only in humid tropical areas of Mesoamerica and beyond. Given these findings, researchers argue that ____.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT “complete the text” inference questions, first restate the key facts in your own words, then identify what kind of statement is missing (cause, effect, conclusion, etc.). Next, test each option by asking: (1) Is this directly supported by the evidence given, or does it add new, unmentioned ideas? (2) Does anything in the passage contradict it? Quickly eliminate answers that introduce new topics or require extra assumptions not grounded in the text. Choose the option that represents a reasonable, text-based conclusion rather than a creative but unsupported explanation.
Hints
Focus on the kind of question
The blank comes after “Given these findings, researchers argue that….” You are being asked what conclusion follows from the specific evidence provided, not for a random detail.
Use the contrast between local plants and cacao
Pay close attention to the contrast between the native drought-tolerant plants found at the site and the fact that no cacao remains were found, even though cacao chemicals were detected in the cups.
Watch for answers that require extra assumptions
Be cautious with choices that depend on new ideas not discussed in the text (for example, contamination, irrigated cultivation, or a major climate shift). The best answer should follow from the given evidence with minimal added assumptions.
Think about location and habitat
Remember that cacao trees grow in humid tropical areas. How might people in a desert region have gotten cacao if it doesn’t grow naturally where they live?
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the key evidence
First, summarize what the passage tells you:
- The cups contain theobromine and caffeine, which are uniquely associated with cacao beans.
- Botanical remains from the same layers show only drought-tolerant native plants, and no cacao remains.
- Cacao trees today grow only in humid tropical areas of Mesoamerica and beyond, not in deserts like southern Arizona.
Ask what question the researchers are answering
The blank comes after “Given these findings, researchers argue that ____.”
So you are looking for what conclusion researchers would reasonably draw from:
- Evidence that cacao was used (chemical markers in cups)
- No physical remains of cacao locally
- Cacao’s natural habitat is far away and not in this desert.
Eliminate options that add assumptions beyond the evidence
Check each answer against what the passage actually supports:
- Does the passage provide evidence of contamination or later mixing that would explain the chemicals? (relates to choice about contamination)
- Does it provide evidence of local cultivation methods like irrigation or gardens? (relates to choice about irrigated plots)
- Does it provide evidence of a past climate shift to a humid environment? (relates to choice about wetter climate) Options that require extra facts not mentioned in the text are weaker than an option that follows directly from habitat + absence of remains + chemical evidence.
Connect the evidence about location and absence of cacao
We know cacao trees grow in humid tropical regions, not this desert, and there are no cacao plant remains at the site, even though other plant remains were found. This strongly suggests cacao was not grown locally in that desert environment.
Select the conclusion that follows most directly
If cacao could not be grown locally and yet its chemical markers appear in the cups, the most logical explanation is that the inhabitants got cacao from regions where it does grow. Therefore, the best completion is that the inhabitants likely obtained cacao through long-distance exchange with populations living outside the desert Southwest.