RC question

[nikgul6218]

Manhattan 5 lb. question

Premastication is the practice of a mother pre-chewing food before feeding it, mouth-to-mouth, to her baby. While germophobic Western society eschews this practice, it is not only common in the developing world, but provides benefits to a developing baby. Babies are not born with digestive bacteria; they get some from passing through the birth canal, but continue to encounter the beneficial bacteria during breastfeeding and while being handled, in general, by adults.
Throughout most of human history, babies also received antibodies and digestive bacteria from the mother’s saliva, transmitted via premasticated food. In some cultures, fathers also premasticate food for babies; sometimes even entire family groups will do this – a toddler at a family meal might wander from person to person, being fed by many adults.

18. Based on the information in the passage, the author of the passage would most likely agree that

I. Germophobia can contribute to depriving babies of a health benefit.
II. Premasticating food for babies is done only in the developing world.
III. Adult saliva has benefits for babies in addition to the transmission of beneficial digestive bacteria.

Answer : I and III

My doubt is , in the ( III ) option the word ADULT could refer to either Father or Mother. Now the passage confirms that mother's saliva has beneficial digestive bacteria BUT nothing is said about father's saliva in the passage. So how can this be correct when Manhattan strategy guide says, "each and every word of the statement must be correct and must follow from the passage . "

Thanks a ton !!

[tommywallach]

I see your point, but the next sentence shows you why it's wrong. The sentence in question only mentions mothers, true, but then in the next sentence we see that only SOME cultures have a father do it. This leads to the logical inference that the antibodies (which are the benefit outside of digestive bacteria) come from any adult's saliva, but in the previously mentioned cultures, only the mother does the premasticating.

But you're right that it would be on the fence otherwise (though logic would dictate that there wouldn't be a difference in the saliva of a man and a woman, unless the passage went out of its way to describe such a difference).

I think the question is fair, just a little tricky.

-t