Question 166·Easy·Command of Evidence
Smartphone Ownership by Age Group in the United States
| Age group | Percent who own a smartphone |
|---|---|
| 18–29 | 96% |
| 30–49 | 92% |
| 50–64 | 79% |
| 65 and older | 53% |
Technology columnist Javier Patel argues that the digital divide is most pronounced among the oldest Americans. As evidence, he notes that among people 65 and older, only ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the sentence?
For SAT questions that ask which choice "most effectively uses data from the table/graph," first underline the specific group, category, or condition mentioned in the sentence (here, "people 65 and older"). Then locate exactly that row/column in the visual and read off the relevant number. Check that the wording in the sentence (like "only," "more than," or "less than") matches whether the number is relatively small or large. Finally, eliminate any answer choices that use numbers from the wrong category or that conflict with the sentence’s claim.
Hints
Match the age group in the sentence to the table
Focus on the phrase "among people 65 and older" in the sentence. Which row in the table has data for this group?
Pay attention to the word "only"
The word "only" suggests a relatively low percentage. Look at the percentage for the 65 and older group and compare it to the other age groups—how does it rank?
Eliminate answer choices from the wrong age groups
Some answer choices match the percentages for younger age groups, not the 65 and older group. Cross out any choice that reports data from the wrong row of the table.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentence is claiming
The columnist says "the digital divide is most pronounced among the oldest Americans" and then wants to give evidence starting with "among people 65 and older, only ____." This means we need a statistic that shows that people 65 and older are less connected (have lower smartphone ownership) than younger groups.
Find the relevant row in the table
Look at the table row labeled "65 and older." This row directly matches "among people 65 and older" in the sentence, so we must use the percentage from this row, not from any other age group.
Compare this percentage with other age groups
Notice that the "65 and older" group has the smallest number in the "Percent who own a smartphone" column. The younger age groups (18–29, 30–49, and 50–64) all have higher percentages of smartphone ownership, so using the smallest percentage will best support the idea of a digital divide for the oldest Americans.
Match the correct number to the answer choice
From the "65 and older" row, the table shows that 53% of people in this group own a smartphone. The sentence should read: "among people 65 and older, only 53 percent own smartphones." So the correct answer is A) 53 percent own smartphones.