3. PART A: What is the author's likely purpose for including
an explanation of the scientific process in paragraph 26?

A. To inform student readers about the steps of the
scientific process in order to paint a clearer picture of the
research that goes into studying something like fracking.
B. To point out that scientific study of the effects of
fracking will be time-consuming, and that it could be a
long time before definite conclusions can be drawn.
C. To argue that more scientific studies must be
conducted before researches can come to any definite
conclusions about whether or not fracking is safe.
D. To suggest that conducting scientific studies can be
a waste of time, causing unnecessary delays in action
while serious pollution might already be happening.