Question 29·Medium·Command of Evidence
Annual Spending by International Tourists in Four Countries (in billions of US dollars)
| Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | $21.0 | $17.2 | $23.1 |
| Japan | $33.5 | $37.0 | $45.3 |
| Thailand | $48.5 | $57.1 | $61.4 |
| Malaysia | $19.7 | $20.3 | $21.8 |
One measure of international tourism is how much money visitors from abroad spend in a country. A student writing a report about tourism in several Asian countries notes that among the countries in the table, most had annual increases in international tourism revenue in 2017 and 2018, but that trend wasn’t universal. For example, _____
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?
For SAT questions that ask which statement best uses data from a table or graph to support or illustrate a claim, first restate the claim in your own words, focusing on what type of relationship it describes (increase/decrease, comparison, exception, etc.). Then scan the table specifically for that pattern—for example, compare values across years or between groups. Eliminate any answer that uses information not shown, contradicts the data, or talks about the wrong relationship (like overall size instead of change over time). Choose the option that is both factually correct according to the numbers and directly tied to the idea in the sentence.
Hints
Focus on the key idea in the sentence
The student says most countries had increases in 2017 and 2018, but that this trend wasn’t universal. The blank must give a specific example that relates to that claim.
Compare the numbers over time
For each country, compare 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018. Which countries go up both years, and which, if any, do something different?
Check which choice matches the exception
Once you know which country does not increase in both years, look for the choice that accurately describes what happens to that country’s international tourism revenue.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentence must show
The student writes that most countries had annual increases in international tourism revenue in 2017 and 2018, but that trend wasn’t universal. The blank must be filled with a specific example of a country whose pattern does not match that “increase in both years” trend.
Identify the trend in the table
Look across each row and compare 2016 → 2017 and 2017 → 2018:
- South Korea: 21.0 → 17.2 → 23.1 (down, then up)
- Japan: 33.5 → 37.0 → 45.3 (up, then up)
- Thailand: 48.5 → 57.1 → 61.4 (up, then up)
- Malaysia: 19.7 → 20.3 → 21.8 (up, then up)
Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia all show increases from 2016 to 2017 and from 2017 to 2018. South Korea does not: it decreases from 2016 to 2017.
Figure out what kind of statement you need
Because the student’s example must show that the “increase in both years” trend is not universal, the correct choice must:
- Refer to one of the four countries, and
- Describe how its revenue does not increase in both 2017 and 2018 compared with the previous years.
Now check which option accurately and directly describes South Korea’s different pattern.
Match the correct option to the data
The table shows South Korea’s revenue changing from 21.0 (2016) to 17.2 (2017), which is a decrease, and then up to 23.1 (2018). Choice C, “South Korea’s annual international tourism revenue decreased from 2016 to 2017,” accurately states this exception to the general “increase in both years” trend and so is the best completion of the sentence.