Question 23·Medium·Command of Evidence
Dated Ages of Lunar Samples from Select Missions
| Mission name | Year | Landing site | Approximate age of lunar samples (billions of years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo 11 | 1969 | Mare Tranquillitatis | 3.6 |
| Apollo 15 | 1971 | Mare Imbrium | 3.3 |
| Apollo 17 | 1972 | Mare Serenitatis | 3.8 |
| Chang’e 5 | 2020 | Oceanus Procellarum | 2.0 |
The Apollo program missions were spaceflights to the moon led by the United States during the 1960s and 1970s during which astronauts collected some samples of the moon’s surface. More recently, China launched the Chang’e 5 mission, which returned additional lunar surface samples. Researchers have analyzed and dated each of the samples, concluding that the lunar samples collected during the Chang’e 5 mission are significant because ____
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the claim?
For data-based reading questions, first identify what the question wants (here, why something is “significant”), then go straight to the relevant row/column in the chart and note the key numbers or labels. Next, test each answer choice directly against the table: eliminate any option that contradicts a number or label, or that introduces information not shown (like predictions, causes, or confirmations). Finally, among the remaining choices, choose the one that clearly highlights a distinctive pattern or contrast in the data.
Hints
Focus on the Chang’e 5 row
Look carefully at the landing site and approximate age listed for the Chang’e 5 mission and compare those values to the Apollo missions.
Use the numbers
Pay close attention to the ages (in billions of years) for all the missions. How does the Chang’e 5 age compare to each of the Apollo ages?
Check for exact matches, not guesses
For each answer, ask: Does the table directly show this, or is it adding an idea (like predictions or confirmations) that is not in the table?
Think about what makes something ‘significant’
Which statement points to a clear difference or special quality of the Chang’e 5 samples compared to the Apollo samples, based only on the table?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The sentence says the Chang’e 5 samples are "significant because ____." You need to pick the option that (1) is directly supported by the table and (2) explains what makes the Chang’e 5 samples special compared with the Apollo samples.
Locate the relevant data in the table
Focus on the row for Chang’e 5 and compare it with the Apollo mission rows.
- Chang’e 5: landing site = Oceanus Procellarum, age = 2.0 billion years.
- Apollo 11: Mare Tranquillitatis, 3.6 billion years.
- Apollo 15: Mare Imbrium, 3.3 billion years.
- Apollo 17: Mare Serenitatis, 3.8 billion years.
Notice how the Chang’e 5 age compares with all of the Apollo ages.
Check each answer choice against the table
Go through the options one by one and ask, "Is this exactly what the table shows?" and "Does it make the Chang’e 5 samples seem important or special?"
- One choice claims the landing sites are the same: check the landing site names.
- One choice compares Chang’e 5’s age specifically to Apollo 17’s age: check which ages are closer or farther.
- One choice talks about confirming predictions: see if the table mentions predictions or only gives measured ages.
- One choice describes how the age of Chang’e 5 samples relates to the entire range of Apollo sample ages.
Match the statement that is fully supported and shows significance
From the table, all Apollo samples are between 3.3 and 3.8 billion years old, while the Chang’e 5 samples are 2.0 billion years old, making them clearly and uniquely younger than any Apollo samples. The only option that correctly uses this data and explains why the Chang’e 5 samples are significant is: “they are much younger than the samples brought back from any of the Apollo missions.”