Question 97·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
Jane Goodall began her pioneering field research in 1960, when she traveled to what was then Tanganyika (now Tanzania) to observe wild chimpanzees. Setting up camp in Gombe Stream National Park, Goodall spent months documenting the chimps’ daily routines, social structures, and inventive use of tools. Her careful observation at Gombe forever changed scientists’ understanding of primate behavior.
According to the passage, where did Goodall conduct her groundbreaking observations?
For SAT Reading questions that ask "according to the passage" about a specific detail (like a place, person, or time), first underline what you’re being asked (here, the location of Goodall’s observations), then quickly scan the passage for proper nouns or numbers related to that idea. Once you find the relevant sentence, match the exact wording from the passage to the answer choices, and eliminate any choices that are not explicitly stated—even if they sound familiar or generally reasonable.
Hints
Focus on the type of detail asked for
The question asks where Goodall conducted her observations, so you are looking for a specific place name in the passage, not a general region or country alone.
Scan for relevant sentences
Look for the sentence that describes Goodall setting up camp and then observing chimpanzees. The location is usually mentioned right where the activity is described.
Pay attention to repeated words
Notice that the passage uses a full name for the place first, then a shorter form later (for example, a park name and then a shorter version of that name). Make sure to connect these together when matching to the answer choices.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the question is asking
The question says: "According to the passage, where did Goodall conduct her groundbreaking observations?" This means you are looking for the location of her important research, as stated in the passage—specifically, the place where she actually observed the chimpanzees.
Locate where the passage mentions her research location
Scan the passage for place names and for where it describes her setting up camp and observing chimpanzees. You should notice the sentence: "Setting up camp in Gombe Stream National Park, Goodall spent months documenting the chimps’ daily routines, social structures, and inventive use of tools." Right after that, it says, "Her careful observation at Gombe forever changed scientists’ understanding of primate behavior." Both of these lines are about her important observations.
Match the exact wording to an answer choice
From the passage, the specific place where she set up camp and made the observations that "forever changed" scientists’ understanding is Gombe Stream National Park in what is now Tanzania. The answer option that exactly matches this information is D) Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.