17. Which is the best version of the underlined portion of sentence 9 (reproduced below)? But now farmers face a new problem, one that many agricultural scientists would say was inevitable, that is the weeds themselves have developed resistance to this herbicide.
Answer: C
Farmers now face a new problem: the weeds have developed resistance to this herbicide.
The best version of the underlined portion of sentence 9 is "inevitable:" which effectively introduces the subsequent explanation by emphasizing the inevitability of the situation regarding weed resistance.
A) (as it is now)
This option retains the original phrasing without any changes, which is not optimal for clarity or flow. The use of "that is" creates a cumbersome structure that could be improved upon.
B) inevitable that is,
While this option attempts to clarify the relationship between the inevitability of the problem and the explanation that follows, the phrase "that is," creates an awkward pause. The lack of punctuation at the end also leads to a grammatical issue.
C) inevitable:
This option is the most effective as it uses a colon to introduce the explanation that follows. This punctuation choice enhances clarity and allows the reader to anticipate further elaboration, making the sentence structurally sound and engaging.
D) inevitable,
Although this option maintains the concept of inevitability, the comma suggests a continuation of the thought without properly introducing the subsequent explanation. This results in a lack of clarity, as it fails to signal the reader about the elaboration that follows.
Conclusion
Option C is definitively the best choice because it correctly uses a colon to introduce the explanation about weed resistance, enhancing the clarity and readability of the sentence. The other options either retain awkward phrasing or fail to effectively introduce the subsequent idea, thus lacking the precision needed for effective communication.