Question 95·Medium·Command of Evidence
City officials recently released a report arguing that the introduction of dedicated bus lanes on major downtown streets has been environmentally beneficial. According to the report, the new lanes have encouraged commuters to switch from driving personal cars to riding buses, thereby lowering the city’s overall carbon dioxide emissions.
Which piece of information, if true, would most directly support the officials’ argument?
For “Which statement would most support the argument?” questions, first underline the exact claim that needs support (here, that a policy reduced carbon dioxide emissions). Then scan the choices for the one that gives direct, concrete evidence of that result—ideally specific data or observations that clearly match the claim—while rejecting choices that talk about opinions, side effects (like congestion), or neutral facts that don’t actually prove the claim true. Work by asking, “If this statement were true, how strongly would it confirm the author’s main point?” and pick the one with the most direct, measurable link.
Hints
Identify the exact claim to be supported
Focus on the officials’ main environmental claim: what do they say happened to overall carbon dioxide emissions because of the new bus lanes?
Look for evidence, not just related facts
Ask yourself which option provides direct proof of that environmental claim, rather than just something that could be loosely related to transportation or traffic.
Check for measurable environmental impact
Is there an option that includes data or measurements connected to air quality or carbon dioxide after the bus lanes were introduced?
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate what the officials are claiming
The officials say: 1) the new dedicated bus lanes made commuters switch from cars to buses, and 2) this switch reduced the city’s overall carbon dioxide emissions. To support their argument, we need evidence that emissions actually went down after the lanes were added.
Decide what the strongest supporting evidence would look like
The strongest support would be objective data showing a real decrease in emissions that lines up with the time when the bus lanes were introduced. This is better than opinions, guesses, or facts that are only indirectly related.
Check each choice for direct evidence about emissions
Now compare each option to the officials’ key claim about lowering carbon dioxide emissions:
- Does the option mention carbon dioxide or emissions directly?
- Does it show a change over time that could be linked to the new bus lanes?
- Or is it only about ridership patterns, numbers of buses, or people’s opinions, which may be related but do not themselves prove an emissions decrease?
Select the option that directly measures reduced emissions
Only choice B) Air-quality sensors on downtown streets recorded a sustained 12% decrease in carbon dioxide levels during peak travel hours after the bus lanes were added. gives measured, objective evidence of lower carbon dioxide levels after the change. That directly supports the officials’ claim that the bus lanes have been environmentally beneficial by lowering emissions, so B is the correct answer.