What is the main purpose of the vault?

In a cold storage vault dug into a frozen hillside, thousands of seed samples sleep in sealed foil packets. The vault was not designed for farmers who need seed for next season; it is a back-up copy of collections held in seed banks around the world. If a bank's collection is lost to war, flood or equipment failure, its depositors can ask for their own samples back. The depth of the vault and the permafrost around it keep the temperature low even if the power fails, which is the main reason the location was chosen. Each sample is stored with a record of where it was collected and how it was dried. Without this record, a sample is of limited use, because breeders need to know what conditions a variety was grown in before they can use its traits. Only the depositor may open its boxes: the vault's operators hold the building but not the contents.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. To keep back-up copies of seed collections held elsewhere

  1. Step 1: The passage says the vault is a back-up copy of collections held around the world. Step 2. It is not designed for farmers. Answer: To keep back-up copies of seed collections held elsewhere. Why not the others: Selling, breeding and weather recording are not mentioned.

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