Question

corrine walsh and colleagues tested whether soil microorganisms from ecologically different settings - aspen grove, irrigated pasture, and so on - affect plants flavor chemistry. although they found associations between plants glucosinolates (compounds that produce spicy and bitter flavors) and plants growth conditions, variations in glucosinolates could not be______soil microbes specifically. which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? a forestalled by b subverted by c attributed to d excluded from

Explanation:

The text states that while there were associations between glucosinolates and growth conditions, the variations in glucosinolates couldn't be directly linked to soil microbes. "Attributed to" means to be regarded as resulting from or caused by. "Forestalled by" means to prevent or stop something. "Subverted by" means to undermine or overthrow. "Excluded from" means to be left out. Since the context is about cause - effect (variations in glucosinolates and soil microbes), "attributed to" is the most logical.

Answer:

C. attributed to