Question 158·Medium·Command of Evidence
Estimated Average Daily Water Use per Person in Selected Countries
| Country | Liters per person per day |
|---|---|
| Australia | 280 |
| Ethiopia | 25 |
| Germany | 150 |
| India | 135 |
| United States | 300 |
Environmental researchers note that curbing water consumption should begin with countries whose residents, on average, use far more water than the global norm. Based on the information in the table, the researchers would be most likely to focus their initial conservation campaigns on the
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
For SAT questions that involve a table and a phrase like “would be most likely to” or “best supports,” first translate the goal into a simple math/comparison task (for example, “find the largest value” or “find the smallest value”). Then ignore your outside knowledge and scan only the relevant column for the answer-choice items, comparing their numbers directly. Eliminate any choices that do not match the stated goal (such as not being the highest or lowest as required), and pick the row whose value best fits the comparison—this keeps you fast and accurate without overthinking the context.
Hints
Restate the goal in your own words
The researchers want to start their campaigns in the countries where people use much more water than average. Think about whether that means looking for the smallest number, a middle number, or the largest number in the table.
Focus on the correct column
Ignore country names at first and look at the numbers in the “Liters per person per day” column for the countries mentioned in the answer choices. You only need to compare these numbers.
Compare just the answer-choice countries
For Australia, Germany, India, and the United States, line up their daily water use numbers and see which is biggest. That country is where the researchers would most likely start.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the researchers’ goal
The sentence says researchers want to curb water consumption by starting with countries whose residents use far more water than the global norm. This means they want to begin with the countries that have the highest average daily water use per person.
Locate the relevant data in the table
The table shows, for each country, how many liters of water a person uses per day on average. For the countries that appear in the answer choices, the values are:
- Australia: 280 liters
- Germany: 150 liters
- India: 135 liters
- United States: 300 liters
Compare the numbers
Because the researchers want to focus on places that use far more water than normal, you should look for the largest value in that list. Compare the daily liters: 280, 150, 135, and 300, and determine which is greatest.
Match the largest value to the answer choice
The largest number is 300 liters per person per day. In the table, 300 liters corresponds to the United States, so the researchers would most likely start their initial conservation campaigns there.
Correct answer: D) United States, where average daily personal water use is roughly 300 liters.