Question

The writer wants a conclusion that conveys how the shortcomings of 1-MCP presented in the passage affect the actions of people in the fruit industry. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

• A. 1-MCP lengthens the storage life of fruits but at a cost.
• B. Many of the improvements to fruit quality they have discovered so far have required trade-offs in other properties of the fruit.
• C. For now many fruit sellers must weigh the relative values of aroma, color, and freshness when deciding whether to use 1-MCP.
• D. It must be acknowledged that 1-MCP, despite some inadequacies, has enabled the fruit industry to ship and store fruit in ways that were impossible before.

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

For now many fruit sellers must weigh the relative values of aroma, color, and freshness when deciding whether to use 1-MCP.

Option C is the correct answer. The passage states the conditions of fruits as effected by the use of the 1-MCP, which altered its rate of sustaining freshness, suggesting that careful consideration must be done before its application. The statements of options A,B and D are incoherent in the context of the question and, thus, are incorrect.