How will the right answer fit in terms of support and conclusion?

Only the right answer will accurately describe what kind of background, support, or conclusion the statement in the prompt is.

Highlight the main conclusion in the passage, if there is one:

groups that made the transition were likely motivated by certain benefits that accompany the settled life of the agriculturist

Anthropologist: [INTERMEDIATE CONCLUSION]. [SUPPORT]. Thus, [CONCLUSION], such as [BACKGROUND].

You know a statement can both get and give support, which is what the part we’re being asked about here does. The test sometimes calls that an intermediate conclusion. Most passages don’t have them, but they’re definitely more common on these prompts about “the role played”.

Map the wording of the answers to the wording of the passage:

(A) …a premise for which another premise is offered as support.

Boom! The statement gives support but also gets supported. I’d love to see you bang (A) and move on.

(B) It is background information…

Nope, it’s only background if it doesn’t give or get support. This statement did both.

(C) …a premise for which no support is offered.

Nope, the second sentence definitely backs up the first.

(D) It is the conclusion of the argument as a whole.

Don’t be fooled. Yes, statements with “must” are usually main conclusions. But since it supports the “Thus” statement at the end, it’s only an intermediate conclusion in this one.

(E) …the rest of the argument seeks to rebut.

Nope, no “but” or “however” or any statement of disagreement anywhere.

(A) is the correct answer.

Common pattern/s in this question: It won’t come up too often, but you should be comfortable recognizing an intermediate conclusion that both gets supported, and also supports the main conclusion.