Question 61·Easy·Command of Evidence
A wildlife conservation nonprofit runs captive-breeding programs for several endangered species. Each year, some animals born in captivity are released into protected areas.
A staff member is writing a brief report and wants to include an example of a species whose number of releases increased each year from 2020 to 2022, for instance: ______
Which choice most effectively uses the data in the graph to complete the example?
For graph-based command-of-evidence questions, restate the claim in the sentence (here, “increased each year”), then check the graph for which data series matches that exact pattern. Finally, choose the option that reports the matching series using the same years and the correct values.
Hints
Focus on the phrase “increased each year”
Look for a line that moves upward from 2020 to 2021 and upward again from 2021 to 2022.
Confirm the exact values
Read the y-values for that species at each year so you can check whether the numbers in the answer choice match the graph.
Eliminate “up then down” or “downward” patterns
If a species decreases at any point, it cannot be the example the sentence asks for.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the sentence needs
The blank must give an example of a species whose releases increased each year from 2020 to 2022.
Check each species’ trend on the graph
California condor goes up each year (6, then 9, then 12). Mexican wolf goes up and then slightly down (22, 24, 23). Black-footed ferret decreases (48, 35, 30).
Match the correct trend to an answer choice
The only choice that states the condor’s year-by-year increase with the correct numbers is: California condor releases rose from 6 in 2020 to 9 in 2021 and 12 in 2022.