Extract:
Super Foods
Super foods are whole, unprocessed foods such as blueberries, walnuts, beans, oats, and broccoli. Spinach, yogurt, and pomegranates are also super foods. They are classified as such because they contain high levels of essential nutrients, are low in calories, and can often help prevent, and even reverse, some of the common effects of aging including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer. Super foods help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and, some researchers believe, even improve a person’s mood.
High on the list of super foods are blueberries, fresh or frozen, which are loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and potassium. Blueberries are also an anti-inflammatory, which many researchers and nutritionists believe is beneficial. Lentils are a super food that helps prevent a spike in insulin levels that can increase body fat. Lentils are high in both fiber and protein, each of which contributes to stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing excess fat, especially in the stomach area.
Walnuts are a plant-based source of essential unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease by as much as 50 percent. All oats are healthful. Oats, even instant oatmeal, are digested slowly while providing up to five grams of fiber per serving.
As physicians and nutritionists continue to study super foods and their effects, consumers continue to educate themselves about the variety of benefits. In an era when consumers question the origin and nutritional value of much of the food on store shelves, super foods are some of the most healthful and natural whole foods available.
Which statement would not be inferred by the reader?
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A
Instant oatmeal can be part of a healthful breakfast.
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B
Blueberries are an especially healthful food.
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C
Certain grains and dairy products are super foods.
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D
Super foods are more expensive than processed foods.
The statement that cannot be inferred is that super foods are more expensive than processed foods, the passage never discusses price or affordability comparisons.
A) Instant oatmeal can be part of a healthful breakfast
Directly supported: "All oats are healthful" and "Oats, even instant oatmeal, are digested slowly while providing up to five grams of fiber per serving."
B) Blueberries are an especially healthful food
Reasonably inferred: blueberries receive prominent placement "high on the list of super foods" with extensive nutrient descriptions ("loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and potassium") and anti-inflammatory properties.
C) Certain grains and dairy products are super foods
Directly supported: oats and lentils (grains) plus yogurt (dairy) are explicitly listed among super foods.
D) Super foods are more expensive than processed foods
Cannot be inferred, the passage never mentions price, cost, or affordability. The closing reference to consumers questioning "nutritional value" concerns quality assessment, not price comparison.
Conclusion
Valid inferences must extend logically from textual evidence. While the passage discusses nutritional superiority, it remains silent on economic factors, making price comparisons unsupported extrapolations beyond the text's boundaries.