Extract:
Aromatherapy, Fact or Fiction?
For years, aromatherapy has been touted as a safe and natural way to relax and even heal. Essential oils from a variety of scents have been added to candles and sprays to help people feel better. However, a recent study performed at Ohio State University says that these smells, as nice as they may be, do not do a thing to improve people’s health.
To find out if aromatherapy actually works, the researchers tested two of the most popular scents: lemon and lavender. First, test subjects had their heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones, and immune function measured and noted. Next, they were subjected to mild stress-ors and then told to sniff one of the scents to see if the scent would help them to relax. Finally, all the subjects were tested again to look for improvement. No significant changes were noted, even in people who had previously stated they were true believers in the power of aromatherapy.
Of course, this does not necessarily prove that aromatherapy is worthless, either. It was just one small study, pitted against the opinions of thousands of consumers who swear by peppermint on their pillow for an upset stomach or vanilla for a headache. More tests will be done, but in the meantime, a whiff of lavender, lemon, or other scents will certainly do no harm, and can be quite pleasant at the same time.
Which of the following is a conclusion that a reader can draw from this passage?
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A
Aromatherapy is not a legitimate therapy by anyone’s standards.
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B
Lemon and lavender are not healthy scents to inhale or use.
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C
More studies are needed to determine if aromatherapy is truly beneficial.
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D
Adding aromatherapy to regular treatment will help speed healing.
A valid conclusion is that more studies are needed to determine if aromatherapy is truly beneficial, explicitly stated in the passage's acknowledgment of the single study's limitations.
A) Aromatherapy is not a legitimate therapy by anyone's standards
Contradicted by the passage, which notes "thousands of consumers who swear by" aromatherapy and states the study "does not necessarily prove that aromatherapy is worthless", demonstrating divided rather than universal opinion.
B) Lemon and lavender are not healthy scents to inhale or use
Contradicted by the closing statement that these scents "will certainly do no harm, and can be quite pleasant," explicitly affirming their safety.
C) More studies are needed to determine if aromatherapy is truly beneficial
Directly supported: "More tests will be done" and "this does not necessarily prove that aromatherapy is worthless, either. It was just one small study", explicitly calling for additional research before definitive conclusions.
D) Adding aromatherapy to regular treatment will help speed healing
Contradicted by study results showing "No significant changes were noted" in physiological measures despite scent exposure.
Conclusion
Valid conclusions must align with textual evidence without overstatement. The passage's explicit acknowledgment of the single study's limitations and call for further research makes option C the only supportable conclusion.