SAT command of evidence: quantitative questions: how to answer them

A student is studying how library borrowing changed in early 2025. She notes that e-books became more popular over the three months, and that by March ______

In a survey of students at one school, screen time rose with each grade on both school days and weekends. But the increase was much larger on school days: ______

Education researcher Lionel Achterberg studied an after-school reading program. He argues that the program, rather than general improvement over the school year, explains most of the participants' gains. As evidence, he points out that ______

A journalist claims that the oldest age group in the survey reads for pleasure most often. The data support this claim, since ______

Researchers concluded that the medicine reduced allergy symptoms without causing more side effects than a placebo. The data support this conclusion, since ______

A botany club tested how often to water tomato seedlings. Members concluded that watering too often can be as harmful as watering too rarely, pointing out that ______

Park managers say that the new winter trail program, introduced in 2020, has attracted visitors at a time of year when the park used to be nearly empty. In support of this, they note that ______

Some commentators claim that the fall in coal use in Region X was offset mainly by natural gas. The data do not support this claim, since ______

Ornithologist Freya Nilsen suspects that a new wind farm built near North Cliff in 2020 has harmed the colony there. The data support her suspicion, since ______

Rivertown built a network of protected bike lanes between 2016 and 2019. A city report claims that the lanes attracted former drivers rather than people who previously used other non-car modes. The data are consistent with this claim, since ______

Psychologist Aiko Mori argues that students who judge study methods by how well they perform the next day may choose the wrong method. Her data illustrate this point: ______

An economist argues that the growth in food spending in Country Y between 2000 and 2020 came mostly from eating out.

Agronomist Pedro Salas proposes that planting a cover crop over winter raises wheat yields mainly on sandy soils. The data support this proposal, since ______

A student claims that background music did not slow people down at first, but that its effect grew as they became more practiced at the puzzle.

Entomologist Clara Ibsen suspects that artificial light at night is reducing firefly activity.

In 2021 the Hartley Chess Club started free Saturday lessons for children. The club's secretary says the lessons transformed the club's membership while having little effect on the number of adults who belong. The data support her statement, since ______

Ardon and Corvan installed water meters in every home in 2019, while Belmont did not. An official argues that meters, not a general trend toward saving water, explain the fall in water use in Ardon and Corvan. The data support this argument, since ______

Marine biologist Ezra Klein-Moreau is advising a hatchery on which oysters to raise as coastal waters warm. He recommends the imported oysters, noting that while the two types survive about equally well in cool and moderate water, ______

A school moved some fruit to eye level by the checkout and left other fruit in a cooler at the back. A nutritionist claims that the change increased fruit choices mainly by drawing students away from dessert, not just by moving fruit choices from one place to another.