Question 19·Easy·Command of Evidence
Sample of Food Items from Gemini Mission Menus
| Food item | Day | Meal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar cookie cubes | 1 | B |
| Chicken and vegetables | 2 | B |
| Shrimp cocktail | 4 | C |
| Hot cocoa | 3 | A |
To make sure they got the nutrition they needed while in space, the astronauts of NASA’s Gemini missions were given menus for three meals a day (meals A, B, and C) on a four-day rotating schedule. Looking at the sample of food items from these menus, a student notes that on day 1, the menu included ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the student's observation?
For SAT questions that use tables or charts, always start by restating the question in your own words (for example, “Find the item on day 1”). Then, go straight to the relevant row or column (here, the row with day 1), read across carefully to gather all needed details (food item and meal), and finally match those details exactly to an answer choice. Avoid skimming the whole table or relying on memory; instead, systematically locate the correct row/column and verify every part (day, meal, item) before choosing your answer.
Hints
Use the table, not the paragraph, to find the specific item
The paragraph gives background information about the menus, but the specific details about which foods were served on which days and meals come from the table. Focus on the table to answer the question.
Find the correct row first
Start by looking down the Day column. Which row shows day 1? Once you find that row, you will have the right place to read from.
Read across the row for the needed details
After finding the day 1 row, read across that same row to find both the Food item and the Meal listed there. Then look for the choice that matches both pieces of information exactly.
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify what the question is asking
You are asked to fill in the blank: “on day 1, the menu included ______”. That means you must find which food item and meal combination from the table matches day 1.
Locate day 1 in the table and read across
Look at the Day column in the table and find the row where the day is 1. In that row, read across to see:
- the Food item listed is Sugar cookie cubes
- the Meal listed is B
Keep these two pieces together: this row tells you what was served on day 1 and which meal it was part of.
Match the table information to an answer choice
Now compare the information from the day 1 row to the answer choices. The row for day 1 shows that sugar cookie cubes were included for meal B, which exactly matches choice C) sugar cookie cubes for meal B. So the correct answer is C.