PSAT Reading and Writing Quiz: Evidence In Text
20 questions · exam conditions
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Evidence In TextQuestion 1 of 20

Archaeologist Diego Salas argues that a newly excavated desert settlement (occupied 700–900 CE) was a seasonal trade outpost rather than a year-round village because its storage facilities were designed for short-term, high-volume goods turnover.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Salas's interpretation?

Most hearths contain ash from locally gathered shrubs, indicating residents used nearby fuel sources for cooking.
Storage rooms show repeated replastering and rodent-proofing, suggesting long-term maintenance across many years.
Pottery assemblages include many imported vessel types, but their use-wear patterns were not analyzed.
Storerooms contain many small, standardized sealings and few large bins, consistent with frequent packing and redistribution.
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PSAT Reading and Writing Quiz

PSAT Reading and Writing Quiz: Evidence In Text

Practice Evidence In Text in PSAT Reading and Writing with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Evidence In Text, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for PSAT Reading and Writing.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Archaeologist Diego Salas argues that a newly excavated desert settlement (occupied 700–900 CE) was a seasonal trade outpost rather than a year-round village because its storage facilities were designed for short-term, high-volume goods turnover.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Salas's interpretation?

  1. Most hearths contain ash from locally gathered shrubs, indicating residents used nearby fuel sources for cooking.
  2. Storage rooms show repeated replastering and rodent-proofing, suggesting long-term maintenance across many years.
  3. Pottery assemblages include many imported vessel types, but their use-wear patterns were not analyzed.
  4. Storerooms contain many small, standardized sealings and few large bins, consistent with frequent packing and redistribution. (correct answer)
Explanation: Salas argues the settlement was a seasonal trade outpost rather than year-round village because storage facilities were designed for short-term, high-volume goods turnover. To support this interpretation, we'd need evidence showing storage patterns consistent with frequent movement of trade goods rather than long-term residential storage. Choice D provides exactly this evidence: many small, standardized sealings (suggesting frequent packaging of goods) and few large bins (inconsistent with long-term bulk storage) directly support the interpretation of short-term, high-volume turnover typical of trade outposts. Choice B actually contradicts Salas by showing long-term maintenance suggesting year-round occupation. Choice A addresses fuel sources, not storage patterns. Choice C mentions imported vessels but doesn't analyze storage facilities or turnover patterns. In archaeological interpretation questions, ensure the evidence directly addresses the specific material pattern (storage design) that forms the basis of the argument.

Question 2

In a 2022 article on urban ecology, researcher Lina Chen argues that in large North American cities, planting diverse native flowering species along road medians reduces summer surface temperatures primarily by increasing evapotranspiration (not by shading), with the strongest effects during midday heat.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Chen's hypothesis?

  1. Neighborhoods with more street trees report lower electricity bills, though tree canopy varies widely block to block.
  2. Median plantings of native flowers show higher midday leaf transpiration rates and larger temperature drops than equally shaded gravel medians. (correct answer)
  3. A survey finds drivers prefer flowering medians to concrete barriers, citing aesthetics and perceived calmness.
  4. In small rural towns, roadside wildflower strips increase insect abundance but show no measurable change in pavement temperature.
Explanation: The researcher claims that diverse native flowering species in road medians reduce summer temperatures specifically through evapotranspiration (water release from plants), not shading, with strongest effects at midday. To support this, we'd need evidence showing that flowering medians produce measurable evapotranspiration and temperature reduction during peak heat hours. Choice B directly supports this by showing native flower medians have higher transpiration rates and larger temperature drops than equally shaded gravel medians—this isolates the evapotranspiration effect from shading since both have equal shade. Choice A addresses street trees (not median flowers) and doesn't isolate evapotranspiration from shading effects. Choice C only addresses driver preferences, not temperature mechanisms. Choice D shows no temperature change in rural towns, which actually contradicts the hypothesis. When evaluating support for a specific mechanism claim, look for evidence that isolates that mechanism from other possible causes.

Question 3

Historian Mateo Alvarez contends that a sharp rise in piracy in the western Mediterranean between 1610 and 1630 was driven mainly by demobilized sailors after a major conflict ended, rather than by increased trade volume.

Which finding, if true, would most directly challenge Alvarez's claim?

  1. Customs ledgers show trade tonnage doubled from 1610 to 1630 while naval payrolls stayed stable and desertion rates fell. (correct answer)
  2. Court records describe pirates using new coastal hideouts, but they rarely mention the prior military service of captured crews.
  3. A 1650 sermon blames piracy on moral decline and luxury imports, without referencing recent wars or discharged soldiers.
  4. Ship manifests list more high-value cargoes, but the number of reported pirate attacks remains unchanged in the eastern Mediterranean.
Explanation: The historian claims that the 1610-1630 piracy rise was driven mainly by demobilized sailors after a conflict ended, not by increased trade volume. To challenge this, we'd need evidence showing either that demobilized sailors weren't the main cause or that increased trade was the main cause. Choice A directly challenges the claim by showing trade doubled while naval forces stayed stable with low desertion—this suggests increased trade targets drove piracy, not an influx of unemployed sailors. Choice B mentions new hideouts but doesn't address the cause of increased piracy. Choice C discusses moral explanations from 1650, outside the relevant timeframe. Choice D shows unchanged piracy in a different region (eastern Mediterranean), not the western Mediterranean in question. To challenge a causal claim about what drove an increase, look for evidence supporting an alternative cause or contradicting the proposed cause.

Question 4

In a study of second-language reading, psychologist Andrés Mehta proposes that short, daily retrieval practice (brief quizzes) improves vocabulary retention more than rereading because retrieval practice strengthens recall pathways rather than familiarity.

Which finding, if true, would most directly challenge Mehta's claim?

  1. Students who reread passages report higher confidence in knowing words than students who take daily quizzes.
  2. On a delayed recall test, quizzed students outperform rereaders only when they also receive extra sleep education.
  3. Quizzed and rereading groups show equal delayed recall, but rereaders show faster recognition of the same words. (correct answer)
  4. Quizzed students outperform rereaders on delayed recall even when both groups spend the same total study time.
Explanation: Mehta's claim is that retrieval practice (quizzing) improves retention more than rereading specifically because it strengthens recall pathways rather than familiarity. To challenge this, we'd need evidence showing either that quizzing doesn't produce better recall, or that the benefit isn't due to strengthened recall pathways. Choice C directly challenges the claim by showing that quizzed and rereading groups have equal delayed recall (contradicting the superiority of quizzing for retention), while rereaders show faster recognition (suggesting they may have stronger familiarity pathways, contradicting Mehta's mechanism). Choice D would actually support Mehta's claim by showing quizzing's superiority. Choice A addresses confidence, not actual performance. When evaluating challenges to mechanistic claims, look for evidence that either disproves the outcome (equal performance) or contradicts the proposed mechanism (familiarity vs. recall pathways).

Question 5

Archaeologist Selim Haddad hypothesizes that a newly excavated coastal settlement (dated 900–1100 CE) was primarily a seasonal fishing camp rather than a permanent town, based on its small hearths and limited storage pits.

Which discovery would most strongly undermine Haddad's hypothesis?

  1. Large, insulated dwellings with repaired floors show multiple rebuild phases, alongside year-round plant remains from different seasons. (correct answer)
  2. Fish bones dominate the faunal assemblage, especially species that migrate nearshore during late summer months.
  3. A cluster of net weights and hooks appears near the shoreline, with little evidence of long-distance trade goods.
  4. Charcoal analysis indicates repeated use of local driftwood, consistent with short stays by groups with limited fuel access.
Explanation: The archaeologist hypothesizes this was a seasonal fishing camp based on small hearths and limited storage, not a permanent settlement. To undermine this, we'd need evidence of year-round occupation or permanent structures. Choice A strongly undermines the hypothesis by showing large, insulated dwellings with repaired floors (indicating permanent structures), multiple rebuild phases (suggesting long-term occupation), and year-round plant remains from different seasons (proving continuous occupation). Choice B supports the fishing camp idea with seasonal fish remains. Choice C shows fishing equipment, consistent with either interpretation. Choice D's driftwood use and limited fuel access actually supports temporary occupation. Archaeological evidence of permanent structures and year-round occupation directly contradicts claims of seasonal use.

Question 6

In a study of workplace communication, psychologist Amina Patel argues that in fully remote teams, "meeting overload" reduces employee productivity mainly by increasing task-switching costs: frequent short meetings fragment attention and force workers to repeatedly reorient to complex tasks. Patel's claim focuses on knowledge workers in software and data roles and predicts that productivity losses should be greatest when meetings are scattered throughout the day rather than clustered.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Patel's hypothesis?

  1. Across firms, employees with more total meeting hours reported lower job satisfaction, regardless of meeting timing.
  2. In hybrid teams, employees preferred video meetings to audio calls, citing clearer social cues and fewer misunderstandings.
  3. When teams shifted from scattered to clustered meetings without changing total meeting time, code output and review speed increased most for complex projects. (correct answer)
  4. Employees who used larger monitors completed tasks faster, even though their teams held the same number of meetings.
Explanation: Psychologist Amina Patel argues that in fully remote teams of knowledge workers in software and data roles, meeting overload reduces productivity primarily through task-switching costs from frequent, scattered meetings that fragment attention on complex tasks. To support this hypothesis, evidence would need to show improved productivity when meetings are clustered rather than scattered, without changes in total meeting time, especially for complex work. Choice C directly supports Patel's claim by demonstrating that shifting to clustered meetings increased code output and review speed, particularly for complex projects, while keeping total time constant, thus isolating the effect of reduced task-switching. This matches the hypothesis's focus on scattering as the key issue in remote settings. Choice A addresses total meeting hours and satisfaction but not the scattering versus clustering distinction, while Choice B discusses meeting formats like video calls, which are unrelated to timing. Choice D involves equipment like monitors, not meeting structure. In studies of workplace dynamics, evidence for causal claims about productivity requires controlling for confounders like total time to pinpoint mechanisms like task-switching.

Question 7

In a 2023 article on urban ecology, biologist Maren Liu argues that installing native flowering plants in city parks increases wild bee diversity primarily because native plants provide a longer, season-spanning sequence of blooms than ornamental nonnative plantings.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Liu's hypothesis?

  1. Parks with native plantings show higher bee diversity only in spring, with no differences in summer or fall.
  2. Across parks, native plantings maintain continuous bloom coverage for 18 weeks, and bee species richness tracks that coverage weekly. (correct answer)
  3. Neighborhoods with more parks report fewer mosquito complaints, regardless of whether parks use native plants.
  4. In rural meadows, native wildflowers correlate with bee abundance, but bloom timing was not measured.
Explanation: Liu's hypothesis claims that native plants increase bee diversity specifically because they provide a longer, season-spanning sequence of blooms compared to nonnative plantings. To support this, we'd need evidence showing that native plants maintain continuous blooms across seasons AND that bee diversity directly tracks this extended bloom coverage. Choice B provides exactly this evidence: it shows native plantings maintain bloom coverage for 18 weeks (demonstrating the extended season-spanning sequence) and that bee species richness tracks this coverage weekly (demonstrating the causal link between extended blooms and bee diversity). Choice A contradicts the hypothesis by showing benefits only in spring rather than across seasons. Choice D addresses a different setting (rural meadows) and crucially doesn't measure bloom timing, which is central to Liu's mechanism. When evaluating evidence for causal claims, ensure the evidence tests both the proposed mechanism (extended bloom sequence) and its effect (increased bee diversity).

Question 8

In climate communication research, Dana Rios argues that messages emphasizing local, near-term health impacts (e.g., heat-related illness) increase support for climate policies more than messages emphasizing global, long-term impacts because local framing raises perceived personal relevance.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Rios's argument?

  1. Local-impact messages increase policy support primarily among participants who already identify strongly with environmental groups.
  2. Global-impact messages increase participants' factual knowledge about climate change more than local-impact messages do.
  3. Local-impact messages raise personal relevance ratings, and those ratings statistically mediate the increase in policy support. (correct answer)
  4. Local-impact messages increase policy support in one country, but the study does not measure perceived relevance.
Explanation: Rios argues that local health impact messages increase climate policy support more than global messages specifically because local framing raises perceived personal relevance. To support this argument, we'd need evidence showing both that local messages increase policy support AND that this happens through the mechanism of increased personal relevance. Choice C provides exactly this support: local messages raise personal relevance ratings (confirming the proposed mechanism), and these ratings statistically mediate the increase in policy support (showing that relevance drives the policy support effect). Choice A limits the effect to already-engaged individuals, which doesn't address the relevance mechanism. Choice B shows knowledge effects but not policy support or relevance. Choice D shows policy support but doesn't measure the relevance mechanism. In mediation arguments, the strongest support shows that the proposed mediator (personal relevance) statistically explains the relationship between cause and effect.

Question 9

Neuroscientist Lila Chen hypothesizes that moderate background café noise (around 70 dB) can improve creative problem solving because it slightly increases cognitive load, encouraging more abstract processing.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Chen's hypothesis?

  1. Participants rate café noise as more pleasant than silence, and they persist longer on difficult tasks.
  2. At 70 dB, participants show higher creativity scores and modestly slower response times than in silence. (correct answer)
  3. At 90 dB, participants show lower creativity scores and report being distracted by the noise.
  4. In a field study, people who visit cafés more often report higher creativity in their jobs.
Explanation: Chen hypothesizes that moderate café noise (around 70 dB) improves creative problem solving because it slightly increases cognitive load, encouraging more abstract processing. To support this, we'd need evidence showing that 70 dB noise both increases creativity and creates the proposed mechanism (slight cognitive load increase). Choice B directly supports this hypothesis: participants show higher creativity scores at 70 dB (supporting the improved problem solving claim) and modestly slower response times (indicating the slight increase in cognitive load that Chen proposes as the mechanism). Choice C shows negative effects at higher noise levels, which doesn't test the specific 70 dB claim. Choice A addresses persistence rather than creativity. Choice D shows correlation in natural settings but doesn't test the causal mechanism. When evaluating experimental support for mechanistic hypotheses, look for evidence of both the outcome (improved creativity) and the proposed mechanism (increased cognitive load).

Question 10

An economics paper by Julianne Weber claims that in U.S. counties from 2005–2015, declines in manufacturing employment increased opioid overdose deaths mainly by raising long-term unemployment (a sustained loss of income and structure), not by short-term job transitions.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Weber's claim?

  1. Counties with larger manufacturing declines show higher overdose deaths only where long‑term unemployment rises, not where workers quickly reemploy. (correct answer)
  2. Overdose deaths increase in 2018–2022 in some counties that had stable manufacturing employment during 2005–2015.
  3. Survey respondents report that prescription practices vary widely among hospitals, independent of local labor market conditions.
  4. Manufacturing layoffs correlate with increased applications to community colleges, especially in counties with larger youth populations.
Explanation: The economist claims that manufacturing declines increased overdose deaths mainly through long-term unemployment (sustained income/structure loss), not short-term job transitions. To support this, we'd need evidence showing overdoses increase specifically where long-term unemployment rises, not where workers quickly find new jobs. Choice A directly supports this by showing counties with manufacturing declines have higher overdoses only where long-term unemployment rises, not where workers quickly reemploy—this isolates the long-term unemployment mechanism. Choice B shows overdoses in counties without manufacturing decline, which doesn't test the claim about manufacturing's effect. Choice C addresses prescription practices, not the unemployment mechanism. Choice D shows education responses to layoffs, not health outcomes. When evaluating mechanism claims, look for evidence that compares outcomes when the proposed mechanism is present versus absent.

Question 11

Historian Daniel Ibarra claims that the rapid spread of printed political pamphlets in London between 1640 and 1642 significantly increased political polarization by exposing readers to increasingly one-sided arguments, rather than by increasing overall political participation. He argues that pamphlet content became more ideologically uniform within factions over this short period, leading readers to adopt more extreme positions.

Which discovery would most strongly undermine Ibarra's theory?

  1. A catalog shows pamphlet print runs increased in 1641, but most titles were religious sermons without political content.
  2. Court records indicate that arrests for seditious speech rose in 1642, concentrated in neighborhoods with many printers.
  3. A diary sample shows readers of multiple pamphlet factions reported moderating their views after comparing opposing arguments in 1641. (correct answer)
  4. Parish registers show higher voter turnout in 1642 in districts where pamphlet stalls were common.
Explanation: Historian Daniel Ibarra claims that the spread of printed political pamphlets in London from 1640 to 1642 increased political polarization by exposing readers to increasingly one-sided arguments within factions, leading to more extreme positions, rather than by boosting overall participation. To undermine this theory, evidence would need to show that pamphlet exposure led to moderation of views or increased participation without polarization, directly contradicting the one-sided extremism mechanism. Choice C strongly undermines Ibarra's theory by indicating that readers who engaged with multiple pamphlet factions moderated their views after comparing arguments, suggesting pamphlets reduced rather than increased polarization. This directly challenges the claim of escalating extremism through uniform content. Choice A notes increased print runs but specifies non-political content, which doesn't address political pamphlets' effects, while Choice B shows arrests for seditious speech, potentially supporting polarization without disproving it. Choice D highlights higher voter turnout, which aligns with increased participation but doesn't negate the polarization claim. When evaluating evidence that undermines a historical argument, look for findings that invert the predicted outcome, like moderation instead of extremism, rather than merely related trends.

Question 12

Sociologist Erin Wallace claims that in U.S. public high schools from 2005–2015, expanding access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses increased overall college enrollment primarily by changing peer norms: when more students take AP classes, college-going becomes a more widely shared expectation. Wallace argues the effect is strongest in schools where AP participation becomes common across social groups, not confined to a small elite.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Wallace's claim?

  1. Schools that added AP courses saw higher average AP exam scores, especially among students already earning top grades.
  2. College enrollment rose most in schools where AP enrollment broadened across cliques and demographics, and surveys showed stronger perceived "college-for-all" norms. (correct answer)
  3. From 2016–2020, states that subsidized community college tuition experienced higher enrollment than states that did not.
  4. Students who took more AP classes were more likely to enroll in college, even after controlling for prior test scores.
Explanation: Sociologist Erin Wallace claims that in U.S. public high schools from 2005–2015, expanding Advanced Placement (AP) access increased college enrollment primarily by shifting peer norms toward widespread college expectations, with strongest effects when AP participation spans social groups. To support this claim, evidence would need to link broadened AP enrollment across demographics to higher college-going rates and explicit norm changes. Choice B directly supports Wallace's claim by showing college enrollment rose most in schools with AP broadening across cliques, accompanied by stronger 'college-for-all' norms, matching the mechanism and timeframe. This emphasizes norm shifts over mere participation increases. Choice A focuses on exam scores among top students, not enrollment or norms, while Choice C discusses tuition subsidies unrelated to AP. Choice D correlates AP classes with enrollment but doesn't address norm changes or social breadth. In sociological evidence, verify support by ensuring findings address the claimed mechanism, like peer norms, rather than just correlations.

Question 13

Literary scholar Amira Okafor argues that in Toni Morrison's novels, recurring water imagery functions primarily as a symbol of communal memory rather than personal purification, and that this meaning is emphasized when water appears in collective settings (rivers, public baths, storms affecting neighborhoods).

Which quotation would best support Okafor's argument?

  1. "I washed my hands until they were raw, hoping the water could make me someone new."
  2. "The river carried their names the way the elders did—passed along, repeated, and kept from disappearing." (correct answer)
  3. "He feared the lake because it was deep, not because it meant anything beyond its coldness."
  4. "Rain fell on her alone, and she took it as a private blessing that no one else could understand."
Explanation: The scholar argues that Morrison's water imagery symbolizes communal memory rather than personal purification, emphasized in collective settings like rivers and public baths. To support this, we'd need a quotation showing water connected to shared, collective memory. Choice B perfectly supports this: 'The river carried their names the way the elders did—passed along, repeated, and kept from disappearing' explicitly links water (river) to communal memory preservation across generations. Choice A shows water as personal transformation ('make me someone new'), supporting individual purification instead. Choice C denies symbolic meaning entirely ('not because it meant anything'). Choice D describes water as a private, individual experience. In literary analysis questions, match the symbolic interpretation to textual evidence that explicitly demonstrates that meaning in the claimed context.

Question 14

Historian Celeste Armand claims that between 1890 and 1910, a key driver of declining membership in certain U.S. fraternal lodges was the spread of employer-sponsored leisure clubs, which offered similar social benefits with fewer dues and less time commitment.

Which discovery would most strongly undermine Armand's theory?

  1. Company leisure clubs expanded most rapidly after 1920, while fraternal lodge membership had already stabilized by 1910. (correct answer)
  2. In cities with many factories, newspapers printed more advertisements for recreational events than in smaller towns.
  3. Lodge meeting minutes from 1890–1910 repeatedly cite rising initiation fees as the primary reason members resigned.
  4. A 1905 survey shows most lodge members also joined employer clubs, reporting they valued having two social circles.
Explanation: Armand's theory claims that employer-sponsored leisure clubs drove declining lodge membership between 1890-1910 by offering similar benefits with lower costs. To undermine this theory, we'd need evidence showing either that the timing doesn't match (clubs didn't expand when lodges declined) or that a different factor caused the decline. Choice A directly undermines the theory by showing that company leisure clubs expanded most rapidly after 1920, which is after the 1890-1910 period when lodge membership supposedly declined due to these clubs—if the clubs weren't prevalent during the decline, they couldn't have caused it. Choice C actually supports a competing explanation (rising fees) but doesn't directly contradict Armand's theory since both factors could contribute. Choice D shows coexistence of both memberships, which doesn't necessarily undermine the claim about declining lodge membership. In historical causation questions, pay close attention to chronology—causes must precede their supposed effects.

Question 15

Economist Hana Okoye contends that in small coastal fisheries, adopting community-enforced catch shares reduces overfishing mainly by increasing peer monitoring (fishers observe and sanction one another), not by changes in market prices.

Which observation would best support Okoye's argument?

  1. After catch shares begin, average dockside fish prices rise, and total fishing effort declines in the same months.
  2. After catch shares begin, reported rule violations fall most in villages with the highest rates of inter-household visits. (correct answer)
  3. In a neighboring region without catch shares, fish biomass increases following a three-year period of cooler ocean temperatures.
  4. After catch shares begin, large commercial vessels reduce trips more than small boats, despite identical quota rules.
Explanation: Okoye contends that catch shares reduce overfishing mainly through increased peer monitoring (fishers observing and sanctioning each other), not through market price changes. To support this, we'd need evidence showing that peer monitoring mechanisms are active and effective after catch shares begin. Choice B directly supports this by showing that rule violations fall most in villages with the highest rates of inter-household visits—this suggests that communities with more social interaction (enabling peer monitoring) see the greatest compliance improvements. Choice A mentions price changes, which Okoye explicitly argues are not the main mechanism. Choice D addresses vessel size differences but doesn't connect to peer monitoring. Choice C is about a different region without catch shares, making it irrelevant to testing Okoye's claim. When evaluating support for social mechanism claims, look for evidence that the proposed social process (peer monitoring) correlates with the desired outcome (reduced violations).

Question 16

Political scientist Omar Iqbal claims that in proportional-representation elections, higher voter turnout among 18–24-year-olds increases the vote share of small, issue-focused parties because young voters are more willing to support niche platforms.

Which finding, if true, would most directly undermine Iqbal's claim?

  1. Across elections, youth turnout correlates with higher overall turnout, but party vote shares remain stable.
  2. Exit polls show 18–24-year-olds prefer major parties at the same rate as older voters in high-turnout elections. (correct answer)
  3. Small parties gain vote share in elections with more televised debates, regardless of youth turnout levels.
  4. In a majoritarian electoral system, higher youth turnout is associated with increased support for third-party candidates.
Explanation: Iqbal claims that in proportional-representation elections, higher youth turnout increases small party vote share because young voters prefer niche platforms. To undermine this claim, we'd need evidence showing that young voters don't actually prefer small parties more than older voters when they turn out. Choice B directly undermines the claim by showing that 18-24-year-olds prefer major parties at the same rate as older voters in high-turnout elections—this contradicts the core assumption that young voters are more willing to support niche platforms. Choice A shows stable party shares but doesn't specifically address youth preferences. Choice C identifies a different factor affecting small parties. Choice D actually supports a version of Iqbal's claim but in a different electoral system. When evaluating claims about demographic voting patterns, direct evidence about that demographic's actual preferences most effectively confirms or undermines the argument.

Question 17

Economist Helena Sørensen argues that in coastal fishing towns from 1995–2010, the introduction of individual transferable quotas (ITQs) reduced overfishing primarily by stabilizing fishers' income expectations, which decreased the incentive to "race to fish." She claims the key mechanism is reduced volatility in expected earnings, not increased enforcement or changes in fish biology.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Sørensen's argument?

  1. After ITQs, satellite monitoring detected fewer illegal fishing trips, coinciding with a large increase in enforcement budgets.
  2. After ITQs, income variance among quota holders fell sharply, and the season's catch became more evenly distributed across weeks without added enforcement. (correct answer)
  3. From 2011–2020, fish stocks rebounded in regions that adopted marine protected areas instead of quota systems.
  4. Towns with more seafood-processing plants had higher employment growth, regardless of whether they adopted ITQs.
Explanation: Economist Helena Sørensen argues that from 1995–2010 in coastal fishing towns, individual transferable quotas (ITQs) reduced overfishing mainly by stabilizing fishers' income expectations, thereby decreasing the 'race to fish' incentive, with the key mechanism being reduced earnings volatility rather than enforcement or biological changes. To support this argument, evidence would need to show stabilized income or fishing patterns post-ITQ without reliance on enforcement increases. Choice B directly supports Sørensen's argument by indicating reduced income variance and more even catch distribution after ITQs, explicitly without added enforcement, aligning with the income stabilization mechanism. This isolates volatility reduction as the driver in the specified timeframe and setting. Choice A attributes fewer illegal trips to enforcement budgets, undermining the non-enforcement claim, while Choice C discusses alternative protected areas, not ITQs. Choice D links employment to processing plants irrespective of ITQs, missing the overfishing reduction focus. For economic hypotheses emphasizing specific mechanisms, seek evidence that rules out alternatives like enforcement while confirming the proposed cause, such as income stability.

Question 18

Political scientist Elena Gruber claims that in national elections, compulsory voting increases turnout primarily by reducing informational barriers for habitual nonvoters (through reminders and simplified procedures), rather than by increasing civic enthusiasm.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Gruber's claim?

  1. After compulsory voting begins, surveys show higher reported pride in democracy, especially among frequent voters.
  2. Turnout rises most among prior nonvoters who receive procedural reminders, while measures of political interest remain unchanged. (correct answer)
  3. In local elections without compulsory rules, turnout increases following a charismatic candidate's campaign focused on national identity.
  4. Compulsory voting correlates with more invalid ballots, but the study does not identify which voters cast them.
Explanation: The political scientist claims compulsory voting increases turnout by reducing informational barriers (through reminders and procedures) rather than increasing civic enthusiasm. To support this, we'd need evidence showing turnout rises through procedural help while enthusiasm stays unchanged. Choice B directly supports this by showing turnout rises most among prior nonvoters who receive procedural reminders while political interest remains unchanged—this isolates the informational mechanism from enthusiasm. Choice A shows increased pride, suggesting enthusiasm changes. Choice C describes voluntary turnout increases from enthusiasm-building campaigns, not compulsory voting. Choice D mentions invalid ballots but doesn't identify the mechanism for increased turnout. Evidence that shows behavioral change without attitude change supports procedural rather than motivational explanations.

Question 19

In a study of bilingual education, psychologist Nora Patel proposes that for children ages 6–8, learning new vocabulary in a second language is improved specifically by spaced retrieval practice (repeated recall over days), not by additional exposure time alone.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Patel's hypothesis?

  1. Children who read longer stories in the second language learn more words overall, regardless of how practice is scheduled.
  2. Students using spaced recall quizzes remember more words after two weeks than peers with equal study time but massed review. (correct answer)
  3. Older students ages 14–16 show similar vocabulary gains from spaced and massed practice when tested the next day.
  4. Teachers report that retrieval quizzes increase classroom engagement, though they also reduce time for group discussion.
Explanation: The psychologist claims that for ages 6-8, second language vocabulary learning improves specifically through spaced retrieval practice (repeated recall over days), not just more exposure time. To support this, we'd need evidence showing spaced retrieval outperforms equal-time massed practice for retention. Choice B directly supports this by showing students using spaced recall quizzes remember more words after two weeks than peers with equal study time but massed review—this isolates the spacing effect from total time. Choice A addresses total exposure through longer stories, not the spacing of practice. Choice C contradicts the claim by showing no difference, though for older students (14-16) not the target age group. Choice D addresses engagement, not learning outcomes. When evaluating educational interventions, pay attention to whether studies control for total time and measure the specific outcome of interest.

Question 20

Literary scholar Priya Nandakumar argues that in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the creature's eloquence functions less as a plea for sympathy and more as a critique of Enlightenment ideas about education: Shelley suggests that language and reading can refine moral reasoning but cannot overcome social exclusion. Nandakumar claims the novel repeatedly links the creature's increasing verbal sophistication to heightened awareness of rejection, not to improved acceptance by others.

Which quotation from Frankenstein most effectively illustrates Nandakumar's claim?

  1. "I ardently desired the acquisition of knowledge; yet I was forever barred from human fellowship by my form." (correct answer)
  2. "The pleasant sunshine and the pure air of day restored me to some degree of tranquility and hope."
  3. "I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed."
  4. "I collected bones from charnel-houses; and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame."
Explanation: Literary scholar Priya Nandakumar argues that in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the creature's eloquence critiques Enlightenment ideas by showing that education refines moral reasoning but fails to overcome social exclusion, linking verbal sophistication to greater awareness of rejection rather than acceptance. To illustrate this claim, a quotation would need to connect the creature's pursuit of knowledge or eloquence directly to persistent exclusion despite intellectual growth. Quotation A effectively illustrates Nandakumar's claim by having the creature express a desire for knowledge while noting permanent barring due to physical form, highlighting how education heightens awareness of unbridgeable social rejection. This ties eloquence to refined but futile longing for inclusion. Quotation B describes nature's restorative effect without referencing eloquence or education, while Quotation C invokes rejection but frames it biblically without emphasizing educational refinement. Quotation D is spoken by Victor, not the creature, and focuses on creation rather than the creature's experience. In literary evidence questions, select quotations that precisely match the scholar's interpretive mechanism, such as linking education to awareness of exclusion, to distinguish from broader themes.