Question 140·Medium·Command of Evidence
Residents’ Views on the Severity of Various Climate-Change Impacts
| Impact | Not a concern (%) | Minor concern (%) | Major concern (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| wildlife loss | 15 | 28 | 57 |
| crop failures | 10 | 22 | 68 |
| increase in energy costs | 22 | 35 | 43 |
| water shortages | 7 | 19 | 74 |
| infectious disease | 20 | 30 | 50 |
Rows may not total 100 because of rounding.
Environmental sociologist Marisol Chen surveyed 1,200 residents about which climate-related threats worried them most. Participants’ assessments differed sharply depending on the specific impact; for example, ______
For chart-and-graph evidence questions, first read the sentence around the blank and underline key ideas (here, “differed sharply” and “depending on the specific impact”). Then scan the table to see which column best matches the idea in the text (for worry, it’s usually the “major concern” or highest-intensity column). Eliminate any options that (1) don’t compare the right kind of data (wrong column or only one category) or (2) are true but give a weaker or less direct example of the claim. Always choose the option that is both accurate and most strongly illustrates the specific point made in the passage.
Hints
Match the example to the claim
Reread the part before the blank: it says that participants’ assessments “differed sharply depending on the specific impact.” What kind of information would best illustrate that idea?
Look for comparisons between different impacts
Check whether each answer choice talks about just one impact (like only water shortages) or directly compares people’s responses to two different climate impacts.
Use the most relevant column in the table
The passage talks about which threats “worried them most.” Which column in the table best reflects what people were most worried about, and which answer choice uses that column to show a big difference between impacts?
Step-by-step Explanation
Interpret what the sentence needs to show
Look at the sentence before the blank: “Participants’ assessments differed sharply depending on the specific impact; for example, ______.”
This means the missing part must:
- Give one concrete example of the survey results.
- Show that people’s levels of concern are very different for two different impacts (that is what “differed sharply” and “depending on the specific impact” mean).
Eliminate choices that don’t compare different impacts
Check each option and ask: does it compare two different impacts, or just break down responses within one impact?
- Choice A only talks about water shortages and compares “not a concern” vs “minor concern” for that single impact. It does not show a difference “depending on the specific impact,” so it cannot be the example the sentence is asking for.
The right answer must compare at least two different impact categories (like water shortages vs energy costs, or crop failures vs energy costs).
Focus on examples that match the idea of what worried people most
The question describes the survey as being about “which climate-related threats worried them most.” In the table, the column that best matches this idea is “Major concern (%)”, because that shows which impacts people are most worried about.
Among the remaining choices, prefer examples that:
- Compare two different impacts using the “major concern” column.
- Show a large difference between those percentages, to fit “differed sharply.”
Choose the strongest example of a sharp difference
Now compare the options that:
- Involve two different impacts, and
- Use the “major concern” column.
One option contrasts a very high major-concern percentage for water shortages (74%) with a much lower major-concern percentage for increased energy costs (43%). This is a large gap and clearly shows that people’s assessments “differed sharply depending on the specific impact.”
Therefore, the correct answer is:
D) 74% of respondents viewed water shortages as a major concern, but only 43% viewed an increase in energy costs as a major concern.