A graph question about a change over several years tests whether you can use data to show the requested trend. Read the sentence first and turn its time words into checks. Then read the graph's title, axes, and key so you know what is counted and which line belongs to each group. Compare each pair of neighboring years, because an increase every year means every new count must be higher than the count before it. Accurate numbers can still miss the requested trend.
Hints
- Hint 1
The report asks for an increase “each year.” Check 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 separately.
- Hint 2
Use the key to follow each species' line and check whether it rises at both steps.
Step-by-step
Check each yearly change
Step 1Turn the time span into two checks
increased each year from 2020 to 2022 tells us to check two separate rises. Which years need comparing? The count must rise from 2020 to 2021 and again from 2021 to 2022, so both yearly changes must be increases.
- Step 2
Read the lines and test their direction
The graph's axes show years and numbers released, and its key shows which line belongs to each species. Which lines don't show releases that increased each year? The Mexican wolf line goes from 22 to 24 to 23, so it fails the second yearly check despite ending higher than it began. The Black-footed ferret line goes from 48 to 35 to 30, falling at both steps.
- Step 3
Check the rising line's counts and years
For the California condor, can we say releases increased each year from 2020 to 2022? The graph shows 6, 9, and 12 releases in those years, so both yearly steps rise by 3. The sentence with 9 in 2021 and 12 in 2022 reports those counts in the right years. Choice A.