Question

Read the rough-draft paragraph. (1) Many people experience a sense of therapeutic well-being when gardening. (2) While harvesting a healthy crop of organic fruits and vegetables may be the obvious benefit, there is also something to be said about the sense of calmness that digging in the dirt, sowing seeds, and cultivating plants can give a person. (3) The gardeners also decide what types of pesticides, if any, are used on the produce in the garden. (4) A few hours away from the hustle of daily life can help to de-stress and even reenergize a person. (5) Gardens are serene places where deadlines and errands are unimportant. (6) So, not only can gardening result in healthier eating habits, it can also provide an escape from the daily pressures of school, work, and family. Which sentence is off-topic? 2 3 4 5

Answer 1

I believe the correct answer is (3) The gardeners also decide what types of pesticides, if any, are used on the produce in the garden.
The excerpt is talking about the therapeutic effects of gardening, and each sentences gives some more information about that. However, sentence 3 talks about pesticides, and has nothing to do with the relaxation you feel while gardening.

Answer 2

Sentence 3 is off-topic.

The rough-draft paragraph is about the therapeutic well-being that gardening can have. While the second sentence mentions that the organic fruits and vegetables are organic, it goes on to mention metal benefits of gardening. However, sentence three does not talk about any mental benefits, but rather talks about how the gardeners can decide if pesticides will be used or not. While this does relate to organic fruits and vegetables, it is not related to the main idea of the paragraph.