A graph question about change over time tests whether you can read a trend accurately. Start with the sentence containing the blank, then read the graph’s title, axes, and key so you know what each line measures. Compare the same line at the stated years, and ask whether it rises, falls, or stays near its starting value. Check the size of the change, because words about speed or strength describe how far a line moves over that span.
Hints
- Hint 1
The blank calls for an example of the survey’s results. Use the graph’s axes and key to work out what the numbers and lines show.
- Hint 2
For each line, compare the values at the start and end of the stated time span. How large is the change, and which way does it go?
Step-by-step
Check the direction and size
Step 1Identify what the example needs
Start with For example, participation in _____ as shown in the graph. This asks for one accurate example of how participation changed, not proof of a separate claim. What do the percentages count? They show adults who took part monthly, so higher values mean more adults participated.
- Step 2
Read the years and lines
To check what happened between 2005 and 2020, read the years on the horizontal axis, percentages on the vertical axis, and each line’s name in the key. How does each line move? The line with circles goes from 40% to 33%, squares from 12% to 8%, and diamonds from 10% to 45%. The line with triangles goes from 22% to 23% over the shorter 2015 to 2020 span. So circles and squares fall, while diamonds and triangles rise.
- Step 3
Match the large rise to its institution
The diamond line rises from 10% to 45%, a gain of 35 percentage points, so the rise is large. Which institution does the key name for that line? Online interest groups, so increased sharply describes both the direction and size of its change. Choice D.