Question 52·Easy·Command of Evidence
Attendance and Cost of Hosting for Past Four US World’s Fairs
| World’s fairs held in the US | Cost (in US dollars) | Number of visitors |
|---|---|---|
| Century 21 Exposition (1962) | $47 million | 9.60 million |
| HemisFair ’68 | $156 million | 6.40 million |
| 1984 World’s Fair | $350 million | 7.35 million |
| Expo ’74 | $78 million | 5.60 million |
Huge international exhibitions known as world’s fairs have been held since 1851, but the United States hasn’t hosted one since 1984. Architecture expert Mina Chow argues that this is because some people think the events are too expensive and not popular enough. For example, the 1984 World’s Fair cost $350 million and had only ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?
For SAT questions that ask you to use data from a table or chart, first lock in what specific case the sentence is about (here, the 1984 World’s Fair). Then go straight to the table, find the matching row, and identify which column the question needs (number of visitors, not cost). Read the value exactly as written, including decimals, and choose the answer that matches it word-for-word and number-for-number, rather than estimating or mixing information from different rows.
Hints
Focus on the specific fair mentioned
Underline the name and year of the fair in the sentence that has the blank. Which one of the four fairs in the table does it mention by name and year?
Match the sentence to the correct row
Once you know which fair is being discussed, find that exact fair in the left column of the table. Do not use information from any of the other rows.
Choose the correct type of number
The sentence already gives the cost in dollars. From the correct row in the table, which other number (besides the cost) can you use to complete the sentence?
Line up the table value with an answer choice
After you find the correct number of visitors in the table, look for the answer choice that repeats that number exactly, including the decimal part.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify which fair the sentence is talking about
Look at the sentence in the passage: it says, “For example, the 1984 World’s Fair cost 350 million dollars and had only ______.”
The question is clearly about the 1984 World’s Fair, not any of the other fairs in the table.
Find the correct row and the needed column in the table
In the table titled “Attendance and Cost of Hosting for Past Four US World’s Fairs,” locate the row labeled “1984 World’s Fair.”
In that row, there are two numbers: one under Cost and one under Number of visitors. The sentence already gives the cost (350 million dollars), so the blank must be filled with the number of visitors from that same row.
Read the number of visitors and match it to an answer choice
In the 1984 World’s Fair row, the Number of visitors column shows 7.35 million.
So the sentence should read: “For example, the 1984 World’s Fair cost 350 million dollars and had only 7.35 million visitors.”
The correct answer choice is D) 7.35 million visitors.