I have a question about a practice test!! Why is the correct answer B. I chose D.

Question

Despite the seeming implausibility* of the panspermia hypothesis, some theorists have resurrected the notion in recent decades since laboratory research has shown that many of the objections to the hypothesis can be overcome. Scientists have shown that microorganisms protected from radiation by grains of material could be ejected from a solar system if the repulsive force (p) of the ejecting star is greater than the attractive force (g) of the star's gravity. Such ejecting stars cannot be too luminous since brighter stars emit too much ultraviolet radiation for the survival of bacteria. Organisms can only enter new solar systems whose stars' p/g ratio is low, thus allowing the gravity to pull the microbes into the planetary orbits. According to some researchers, material ejected from a planetary system could also eventually become part of an interstellar molecular cloud, which eventually produces a new planetary system as well as a large number of comets. Comets can retain microorganisms protected by other material and water, and impact onto new planets, which by then would have cooled sufficiently for the life in the grains to take hold.

 

According to the passage, the panspermia hypothesis is

 

A. of historical interest only

 

B. being taken seriously again

 

C. not really good science

 

D. probably true

Answer 1

Saori,

 

The passage describes the hypothesis and some of its components that have been substantiated by lab experiments.

 

It does not say that it does not comprise good science and therefore, C is incorrect.

 

It does not  indicate the probability of hypothesis being true and therefore, D is incorrect.

 

Hypothesis obviously has more than historical interest since labs try relate their experimental results with its proposals and  therefore, A is incorrect as well.

 

B is correct because it hints to the true evidence obtained by experiments that support some portions of the hypothesis.

 

Hope it helps.