Thousands of years ago, some people began dairy farming. This coincided with a…
2024
Thousands of years ago, some people began dairy farming. This coincided with a number of mutations in a particular gene that resulted in these people developing the ability to digest dairy milk.
Based on the given passage, which of the following can be inferred?
- A.
All human beings can digest dairy milk.
- B.
No human being can digest dairy milk.
- C.
Digestion of dairy milk is essential for human beings.
- D.
In human beings, digestion of dairy milk resulted from a mutated gene.
Attempted by 47 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Correct inference: The passage supports that some people developed the ability to digest dairy milk because of mutations in a gene that appeared when dairy farming began.
Statement 'All human beings can digest dairy milk.' is not supported because the passage mentions only some people developed the ability, not all humans.
Statement 'No human being can digest dairy milk.' is contradicted by the passage, which says some people acquired the ability.
Statement 'Digestion of dairy milk is essential for human beings.' goes beyond the information given; the passage does not claim that milk digestion is essential.
Statement 'Digestion of dairy milk resulted from a mutated gene.' matches the passage's main point: mutations coincided with dairy farming and produced the ability to digest milk in people.
Why this is the best inference: The passage explicitly connects the emergence of dairy farming with genetic mutations that led to the ability to digest milk. That linkage supports the inference that the digestive ability resulted from a mutated gene, with the important nuance that this change applied to some people or populations rather than universally to all humans.