SAT Reading & Writing · Command of Evidence (quantitative)
A volunteer claims the data show that daily watering produced dramatically larger yields. Which choice most effectively evaluates the claim?
A community garden measured tomato yield in plots receiving two watering schedules.
| Schedule | Average yield per plot |
|---|---|
| Daily | 18.4 kg |
| Every other day | 17.9 kg |
A volunteer claims the data show that daily watering produced dramatically larger yields. Which choice most effectively evaluates the claim?
| Schedule | Average yield per plot |
|---|---|
| Daily | 18.4 kg |
| Every other day | 17.9 kg |
A volunteer claims the data show that daily watering produced dramatically larger yields. Which choice most effectively evaluates the claim?
Answer and explanation
Answer: A: The daily-watered plots averaged only 0.5 kg more per plot, so the table supports a small difference but not the word “dramatically.”
The volunteer's claim uses the word "dramatically," and A directly evaluates that specific word choice against the actual size of the difference, just 0.5 kg. B and D both contradict the table's actual figures. C vastly overstates the real difference, describing a doubling that the data don't show.
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