Only some strains of the tobacco plant are naturally resistant to tobacco mosaic virus, never becoming diseased even ...

Annie on January 10, 2020

Hi @Marissa-Avnaim,

This question is asking you to pick the answer choice which is "most strongly supported" by the argument provided. Essentially, this means the argument provides the premises and the answer choices are the possible conclusions. Remember on these questions, that it is asking which is "most strongly supported" not which one is supported. That means some answer choices may be a bit supported, and still not be right. You'll have to narrow through the process of elimination.

(B) is correct because it follows naturally from the argument. The premises suggest that salicylic acid plays a role in protecting the plants from the virus. But, they don't tell us how much of a role or how important it is. This answer choice aligns with the premises because it just states that salicylic acid is "at least part" of the way "some" tobacco plants resist the virus. The statement is not too strong for the premises.

(E) on the other hand is incorrect because it is too strong a statement. The premises never state that the production of salicylic acid in the plants can be increased, just that some tobacco plants already produce it and in others it was artificially added.