Historians studying 19th-century agrarian developments have long maintained that the adoption of synthetic nitrate fertilizers was the primary catalyst for the dramatic increase in agricultural yields across Northern Europe. However, recent archival evidence indicates that the widespread implementation of tile drainage systems preceded the mass commercial availability of synthetic nitrates by nearly two decades. Because crop roots cannot absorb soil nutrients effectively in waterlogged fields, the efficiency of any added chemical fertilizer remains severely constrained without prior soil drainage. Therefore, the introduction of synthetic fertilizers merely amplified a productivity trend that was already well underway due to soil infrastructure improvements, rather than serving as its fundamental trigger.
In the argument above, what are the roles played by the two boldfaced portions?
- The first is factual evidence presented to undermine an established position; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.Answer
- BThe first is a finding that supports the traditional historical view; the second is an intermediate conclusion used to support a broader claim.
- CThe first is a position that the author explicitly refutes; the second is a premise offered in support of the traditional view.
- DThe first is background context establishing a consensus accepted by the author; the second is a counterexample that limits the scope of the main claim.
- EThe first is evidence introduced to support the main conclusion; the second is an objection that the author anticipates and attempts to refute.