Question

read the scenario about a formal discussion.
mrs. park’s biology class is discussing the components of healthy garden soil. one student mentions that her community garden has a compost pile and that members of the garden can use the compost for free. she says that she uses the compost now and has found it to be much more effective than fertilizers sold at the store.
which follow-up question best demonstrates attention to the topic and point of view of the speaker?
what differences have you noticed about your garden since switching to compost?
what kinds of things do garden members find are beneficial to compost?
why would you use compost in a garden when fertilizer is inexpensive and easy to use?
how have you been able to gain so much important knowledge about gardening?

Explanation:

To determine the best follow - up question, we need to focus on the speaker's point of view (compost is more effective than store - bought fertilizers) and the topic (components of healthy garden soil and using compost).

• The question "What differences have you noticed about your garden since switching to compost?" directly relates to the speaker's experience of using compost and how it has affected her garden. This is in line with the topic of healthy garden soil and the speaker's positive view of compost.
• The question "What kinds of things do garden members find are beneficial to compost?" shifts the focus to what others find beneficial for composting, not the speaker's experience with compost in her garden.
• The question "Why would you use compost in a garden when fertilizer is inexpensive and easy to use?" seems to challenge the speaker's choice rather than showing attention to her point of view.
• The question "How have you been able to gain so much important knowledge about gardening?" is about how the speaker gained knowledge, not about the compost and its effectiveness in her garden.

Answer:

What differences have you noticed about your garden since switching to compost?