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Questions 12-22 are based on the following passage.

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12
A) NO CHANGE
The Hype of Healthier Organic Food B) the purchase of
C) purchasing
Some people buy organic food because they believe
D) DELETE the underlined portion.
organically grown crops are more nutritious and safer for
consumption than 12 the people who purchase their
13
conventionally grown counterparts, which are usually A) NO CHANGE
produced with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In the B) these consumers spend
name of health, 13 spending $1.60 for every dollar they C) having spent
D) to spend
would have spent on food that is 14 grown in a manner
that is considered conventional. Scientific evidence,
14
15 therefore, suggests that consumers do not reap A) NO CHANGE
significant benefits, in terms of either nutritional value or B) grown with conventional methods, using
pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
safety, from organic food.
C) conventionally and therefore not organically
grown.
D) conventionally grown.

15
A) NO CHANGE
B) furthermore,
C) however,
D) subsequently,

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Although advocates of organic food 16 preserve that

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16
organic produce is healthier than conventionally grown A) NO CHANGE
B) carry on
produce because it has more vitamins and minerals, this
C) maintain
assertion is not supported by scientific research. 17 For
D) sustain
instance, one review published in The American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition provided analysis of the results of 17
comparative studies conducted over a span of 50 years; A) NO CHANGE
B) However,
researchers consistently found no evidence that organic
C) In addition,
crops are more nutritious than conventionally grown
D) Likewise,
ones in terms of their vitamin and mineral content. 18
Similarly, Stanford University researchers who examined 18
almost 250 studies comparing the nutritional content of At this point, the writer is considering adding the
following sentence.
different kinds of organic foods with that of their
The United States Department of Agriculture
nonorganic counterparts found very little difference (USDA) reports that organic agricultural
between the two. products are now available in approximately
20,000 markets specializing in natural foods.
Should the writer make this addition here?
A) Yes, because it adds a relevant research finding
from a government agency.
B) Yes, because it supports the passage’s argument
that organic food is less nutritious than
conventionally grown food.
C) No, because it is not relevant to the paragraph’s
discussion of scientific evidence.
D) No, because it introduces a term that has not
been defined in the passage.

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Evidence also undermines the claim that organic

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19
food is safer to eat. While researchers have found lower A) NO CHANGE
B) is having
levels of pesticide residue in organic produce than in
C) has had
nonorganic produce, the pesticide residue detected in
D) has
conventional produce falls within acceptable safety limits.
According to such organizations as the US 20
Environmental Protection Agency, the minute amounts At this point, the writer wants to further reinforce
the paragraph’s claim about the safety of nonorganic
of residue falling within such limits 19 have no negative food. Which choice most effectively accomplishes
impact on human health. 20 this goal?
A) To be labeled organic, a product must meet
certain standards determined and monitored by
the US Department of Agriculture.
B) Organic food, however, is regulated to eliminate
artificial ingredients that include certain types of
preservatives, sweeteners, colorings, and flavors.
C) Moreover, consumers who are concerned about
ingesting pesticide residue can eliminate much
of it by simply washing or peeling produce
before eating it.
D) In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency
estimates that about one-fifth of the pesticides
used worldwide are applied to crops in the
United States.

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Based on scientific evidence, organic food offers 21
neither significant nutritional nor safety benefits for A) NO CHANGE
B) there are
consumers. Proponents of organic food, of course, are
C) there is
quick to add that 21 their are numerous other reasons to D) their is
buy organic 22 food, such as, a desire to protect the
environment from potentially damaging pesticides or a 22
preference for the taste of organically grown foods. A) NO CHANGE
B) food such as:
Research regarding these issues is less conclusive than the
C) food such as,
findings regarding nutritional content and pesticide D) food, such as
residue safety limits. What is clear, though, is this: if a
consumer ’s goal is to buy the healthiest and safest food to
eat, the increased cost of organic food is a waste of
money.

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