Evaluate Evidence in Passage Practice Test

A climate scientist claims that recent increases in wildfire season length in a region are linked to earlier spring snowmelt. The scientist cites: (1) satellite-derived snow cover data showing average snow-off dates shifted 12 days earlier from 1990 to 2020; (2) fire agency records showing the average date of the first large wildfire shifted 9 days earlier over the same interval; and (3) a model simulation in which earlier soil drying increased the number of days with high fire danger indices.

Which statement best evaluates how the author uses evidence?

An archaeologist proposes that a coastal settlement relied heavily on marine resources. As evidence, the archaeologist notes: (1) 62% of animal bone fragments recovered from household middens are fish vertebrae and shellfish remains; (2) isotopic analysis of human teeth from the site indicates elevated nitrogen-15 levels consistent with diets high in marine protein; and (3) a nearby inland site from the same period contains more deer bones than fish bones.

Which of the following best characterizes the support for the author’s claim?