Gardener: Researchers encourage us to allow certain kinds of weeds to grow among garden vegetables because they can ...

Mehran on September 28, 2017

Hi @JayDee8732, thanks for your post.

This is a Main Point question. The stimulus presents an argument. The gardener's conclusion is that "the researchers' advice is premature." What is the researchers' advice? "To allow certain kinds of weeds to grow among garden vegetables because they can repel caterpillars." What support does the gardener offer in support of his conclusion? That "for all we know, those weeds can deplete the soil of nutrients and moisture that garden crops depend on, and might even attract other kinds of damaging pests."

In other words, the gardener's main point is that expressed in answer choice (D): we should be cautious (the researchers' advice is premature) about the practice of allowing certain kinds of weeds to grow among garden vegetables.

Answer choice (E) is wrong because the gardener does NOT say that certain kinds of weeds cannot reduce the presence of caterpillars. Look carefully, again, at the gardener's premise/reasoning: even if the caterpillars are reduced by the weeds, there might be OTHER KINDS of damaging pests encouraged by the growth of these weeds. (E) is entirely irrelevant.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any additional questions.