Question 75·Hard·Inferences
Before the widespread adoption of artificial refrigeration, iceboxes offered households a means of preserving perishable foods. These insulated wooden cabinets housed large blocks of ice that absorbed heat from the compartments, slowing spoilage. In warmer climates, however, families found iceboxes inefficient and costly: the ice melted quickly and had to be replenished often, and the temperature inside the box fluctuated with the outdoor heat. Accordingly, iceboxes were gradually replaced by cooling systems that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For logical-completion inference questions, use any logical signal (here, "Accordingly") to determine the relationship: the blank must be a solution to the immediately preceding problems. Restate the problems in your own words, then pick the choice that directly resolves all (or the most central) stated issues without adding an unrelated new feature.
Hints
Use the transition word
Focus on the word "Accordingly." The new system must be a direct response to the specific warm-climate problems described.
List the two problems
In warm climates, what two concrete issues are named (one about the ice itself, one about the temperature inside the box)?
Look for a choice that fixes both problems
Prefer an option that addresses both frequent ice replacement and the inside temperature changing with outdoor heat—not just one of them.
Avoid choices that introduce new, unrelated benefits
If a choice focuses on convenience or pricing details not emphasized as the core malfunction, it’s likely not the best logical completion.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the logic signaled by the sentence
The blank appears in: "Accordingly, iceboxes were gradually replaced by cooling systems that _____." The word "Accordingly" signals that the new systems must directly solve the problems just described.
Identify the specific problems that must be solved
In warmer climates, iceboxes were "inefficient and costly" because:
- the ice "melted quickly and had to be replenished often"
- the temperature inside the box "fluctuated with the outdoor heat"
So the replacement should address both (1) dependence on ice and (2) unstable cooling in hot weather.
Eliminate choices that don’t address the passage’s problems
Check each choice against the two stated problems (ice melting quickly and temperature fluctuating):
- "circulated cold air more evenly through the compartments to reduce temperature fluctuations": addresses temperature variation but does not address the frequent need to replace melted ice.
- "used thicker insulation so the ice inside lasted longer": helps with melting but still relies on ice and doesn’t clearly guarantee steady cooling in hot weather.
- "made it possible to buy ice in bulk at a lower price": addresses cost somewhat but does not fix the cooling-performance problem (temperature fluctuation) and still depends on ice.
Choose the completion that follows most logically
After eliminating the choices that fail to solve both issues, the remaining option is kept food at a steady cold temperature without relying on ice, even when the weather was hot.