Question

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Explanation:

Analyze the context surrounding the drop-down menu

The paragraph describes an artist and professor in New York State who grafts fruit trees to create a single tree with 40 different stone fruits. The sentence immediately following the blank explains the initial timeline of this process: "He grows a tree for three years before grafting branches onto it."

Determine the function of the missing sentence

The missing sentence must bridge the introduction of the "tree with 40 different stone fruits" and the explanation of the multi-year grafting process. A supporting sentence here should define or list examples of "stone fruits" (such as peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries) to clarify what kinds of fruits are being grafted before detailing the timeline of how he grows and grafts the tree.

Identify the expected content of the correct option

An optimal supporting sentence to fill this blank is: "Stone fruits include peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries." This directly defines the term "stone fruits" introduced in the first sentence, maintaining paragraph cohesion and unity.

Answer:

Stone fruits include peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries.