The Pacific yew is an evergreen tree that grows in the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific yew has a fleshy, poisonous fruit. Recently, taxol, a substance found in the bark of the Pacific yew, was discovered to be a promising new anticancer drug.

Given data

• Pacific yew is an evergreen in the Pacific Northwest.
• It has a fleshy, poisonous fruit.
• Taxol (from the bark) is a promising anticancer drug.

Concept/Approach

Pick the statement that follows necessarily from the facts provided, avoiding claims not supported by the passage.

Step-by-step reasoning
Fruit is poisonous ⇒ People should not eat it (safety inference is valid).No evidence that taxol is poisonous for healthy people (A) or that it has cured diseases (B).No statement that the tree was considered worthless before taxol (D).

Verification/Alternative

Only option (C) uses an immediate safety implication from 'poisonous fruit' without overreaching.

Common pitfalls

• Overgeneralizing the efficacy of taxol (promising ≠ proven cure).
• Inferring prior value judgments about the tree (not stated).

Final Answer
People should not eat the fruit of the Pacific yew.