Question 1·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
Researchers at the University of Mapleton recently studied the impact of urban rooftop gardens on local wildlife. Lead researcher Dr. Lian Chen said the gardens "surprised us with the high number of native bee species we recorded." Chen believes the findings prove that even small green spaces can greatly aid city biodiversity.
According to the text, what aspect of the rooftop gardens surprised the research team?
For "according to the text" detail questions, first underline the key words in the question (here, "surprised" and "what aspect"). Then go back to the passage and find the exact sentence that addresses those words, paraphrase it in your own words, and only then compare it to the answer choices. Eliminate any options that contradict the passage, introduce new ideas not mentioned, or change key words (like switching "high" to "low"). Always base your answer strictly on the text, not on outside knowledge or assumptions.
Hints
Find where the surprise is mentioned
Look for the exact part of the passage where Dr. Chen says the gardens "surprised us." What comes right after that phrase?
Focus on the specific detail
Ask yourself: What about the rooftop gardens is being measured or counted in that quoted sentence?
Check each option against the text
For each answer choice, ask: Does the passage actually say this? Is it the thing the researchers said was surprising, or is it adding something new or opposite?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks: "According to the text, what aspect of the rooftop gardens surprised the research team?" This means you must find the specific detail in the passage that describes what was surprising to the researchers.
Locate the key sentence in the passage
Look at the sentence with the direct quote from Dr. Lian Chen: the gardens "surprised us with the high number of native bee species we recorded." This quote tells you exactly what caused their surprise.
Restate the relevant information in your own words
Put that quote into your own words: Dr. Chen is saying that the researchers did not expect the number of native bee species they found; the actual number they recorded was very large, which surprised them.
Match your paraphrase to the answer choice
Now compare your paraphrase to the answer choices. The only option that correctly reflects that the researchers were surprised by how many native bee species there were, and that this number was high, is “The high number of native bee species present.”