Question

it started on a warm saturday morning when ariel decided to brew himself a glass of sweet tea. he boiled water, dropped in two tea bags, and stirred in a generous scoop of sugar. the aroma filled his small kitchen - comforting, earthy, and just sweet enough.
but as the day went on, ariel got distracted. he took his tea outside to cool and began working in the garden, then met a friend, then forgot entirely about the tea on the counter.
days later, he noticed the cup still sitting by the window. the tea had darkened, and a thin, rubbery film floated on top. most people might have dumped it out immediately, but ariel was curious. he leaned closer. it smelled... different. tangy. a little sour, but somehow inviting.
intrigued, ariel decided to keep the experiment going. he transferred the mixture into a jar, covered it with a lid, and left it in a warm corner of the kitchen.
over the next week, bubbles began to form. the tea grew fizzier, less sweet, and more complex. when he finally tasted it, the drink was crisp and tangy... and no longer sweet. ariel grinned. what began as a forgotten cup of tea had turned into a living brew - a tiny ecosystem transforming sugar into something new.
he realized he had inadvertently brewed a cup of kombucha.
question 11
what likely caused ariels sweet tea to begin fermenting?
o a the sugar in the tea evaporated in sunlight
o b microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria
o c the heat of the kitchen boiled away the oxygen
o d the tea leaves continued to release gases

Explanation:

Fermentation is a biological process carried out by microorganisms. Sugar is a common substrate for fermentation. Yeast and bacteria are well - known microorganisms that can ferment sugars. Evaporation of sugar (a) would not cause fermentation. Boiling away oxygen (c) is not the main cause of fermentation initiation. Tea leaves releasing gases (d) is not the typical cause of fermentation in this context. Microorganisms like yeast and bacteria (b) are the likely agents as they can metabolize the sugar in the tea through fermentation processes.

Answer:

B. Microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria