Question 153·Hard·Command of Evidence
Native Bee Species Observed in Four Urban Pollinator Gardens
| Garden | Number of flowering plant species | Number of native bee species observed |
|---|---|---|
| A | 15 | 12 |
| B | 22 | 14 |
| C | 30 | 18 |
| D | 12 | 11 |
A report on the gardens concludes, “Garden D supports a higher diversity of bees relative to its floral size than any of the other gardens.”
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to support this conclusion?
For table-based command-of-evidence questions, restate the claim in your own words, paying special attention to comparison language like “relative to” and “than any other.” Then decide what table relationship would prove the claim (here, bee species compared with flowering plant species). Finally, choose the option that uses the most directly relevant numbers—ideally comparing the target subject (Garden D) against all necessary comparators—to support the exact wording of the conclusion.
Hints
Focus on the key phrase in the conclusion
Look closely at the phrase “relative to its floral size”. Are we supposed to look only at the number of bee species, or at the relationship between bee species and flowering plant species?
Make sure the evidence matches “than any of the other gardens”
Since the conclusion compares Garden D to all the other gardens, the strongest support will likely mention Garden D and also bring in Gardens A, B, and C for comparison.
Check whether the choice uses the right kind of comparison
A choice that only gives a true fact about one garden (or only compares D to a single garden) may be weaker than a choice that lets you compare D’s bees-to-flowers relationship to the others.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the conclusion is claiming
The report says, “Garden D supports a higher diversity of bees relative to its floral size than any of the other gardens.”
“Relative to its floral size” means we should not just look at the number of bee species alone. Instead, we should consider the relationship between bee species and flowering plant species in each garden (a “bees per flowering plant species” comparison).
Identify what kind of table evidence would support the claim
Because the claim says Garden D is higher than any of the other gardens, the strongest supporting choice should use the table to compare Garden D’s bee-species count in relation to its flowering-plant count against each of the other gardens (A, B, and C), not just one garden.
So look for an option that includes Garden D and also brings in the A, B, and C numbers in a way that lets you judge the bees-to-plants relationship.
Match the needed idea to an answer choice
The choice that most directly supports the conclusion by comparing Garden D against all the other gardens is:
“Garden D hosts 11 bee species for 12 flowering plant species, whereas Gardens A, B, and C host 12 bee species for 15 flowering plant species, 14 bee species for 22 flowering plant species, and 18 bee species for 30 flowering plant species, respectively.”