Although critics believed that customers would never agree to pay to pick their own produce on farms, such concerns didn’t
______ Booker T. Whatley’s efforts to promote the practice. Thanks in part to Whatley’s determined advocacy, farms that
allow visitors to pick their own apples, pumpkins, and other produce can be found throughout the United States.
enhance
hinder
misrepresent
aggravate
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Booker T. Whatley. In this context,
“hinder” means hold back or obstruct. The text explains that Whatley encouraged farms to allow customers on site to pick
their own produce for a fee. He did so despite critics’ concerns that the customers would never pay to do so. This context
establishes that the critics’ concerns didn’t hinder Whatley’s efforts to promote the practice.
Choice A is incorrect. The text indicates that critics’ skepticism of the idea that customers would pay to pick their own
produce didn’t have some effect on Whatley’s promotion of the practice. The text illustrates this assertion by describing
Whatley’s “determined advocacy” for the practice. This context suggests that critics’ concerns didn’t obstruct Whatley’s
efforts, not that critics’ concerns didn’t “enhance,” or increase or improve, Whatley’s efforts. Choice C is incorrect because in
this context, “misrepresent” would mean portray inaccurately, and the text includes no information relevant to the issue of
how Whatley’s efforts were portrayed by critics of the practice of charging customers to pick their own produce. Choice D is
incorrect. The text indicates that critics’ skepticism of the idea that customers would pay to pick their own produce didn’t
have some effect on Whatley’s promotion of the practice. The text illustrates this assertion by describing Whatley’s
“determined advocacy” for the practice. This context suggests that critics’ concerns didn’t obstruct Whatley’s efforts, not
that critics’ concerns didn’t “aggravate,” or irritate or make more severe, Whatley’s efforts.