Text 1
For thousands of years, O'odham farmers in the Sonoran desert of the southwestern US and northern Mexico have cultivated elderberries and chia seeds, sometimes planting these species together so that the elderberry bushes provide shade for chia flowers. Doing so helps protect chia flowers from the harshest heat and light and thereby helps prevent soil moisture from evaporating.
Text 2
Chia flowers are well adapted to growing in the desert but grow best when shaded. Inspired by O'odham farmers, who often strategically plant chia flowers in the shade of sun-hardy species like elderberry bushes for protection from the sun and heat, Gary Nabhan and colleagues planted chia flowers in the shade of solar panels in the Sonoran desert and found that the plants grew well, suggesting to Nabhan and colleagues that the panels provide a benefit similar to that provided by elderberry bushes.
Based on the texts, the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 would most likely agree on which point?
Explanation
Context: Text 1 describes O'odham farmers planting elderberries and chia together so elderberry bushes shade the chia flowers from harsh heat and prevent soil moisture evaporation. Text 2 describes researchers inspired by O'odham farmers who planted chia under solar panels and found similar protective benefits.
Answer: A) Elderberry bushes can provide shade that protects chia flowers from high-intensity heat and light.
Why? Text 1 explicitly states that elderberry bushes "provide shade for chia flowers," protecting them "from the harshest heat and light." Text 2 confirms chia "grow best when shaded" and that O'odham farmers plant chia "in the shade of sun-hardy species like elderberry bushes for protection." Both texts directly state this.
Traps:
- B) Nabhan's method could be refined to prevent moisture evaporation → only Text 1 mentions moisture evaporation; Text 2 doesn't address this
- C) O'odham approach has advantage of producing chia seeds → neither text makes this comparison of advantages
- D) Elderberry grows best when shaded, chia doesn't need shade → the opposite: chia needs shade, elderberry is "sun-hardy"