Question 158·Medium·Inferences
Library data analyst Anika Chowdhury examined weekly circulation records alongside local weather logs over five years. She noticed that checkouts of gardening books spike during weeks when daytime high temperatures remain above 70 degrees Fahrenheit for at least three consecutive days. To account for this pattern, she proposed two possibilities: warmer weather prompts residents to begin planting, increasing demand for how-to guides; alternatively, a nearby community garden schedules its public workshops to coincide with warm spells, prompting attendees to borrow related materials. Either explanation suggests that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For “logically completes the text” questions, first summarize the key point of the sentence leading into the blank, then identify what must be true based on the information given. When the passage offers multiple possible explanations, look for what they all have in common, not what is unique to one. Eliminate answer choices that introduce new, unsupported ideas, make extreme claims (like “only” or “throughout the year”), or contradict specific details (such as described patterns or trends). Focus on the choice that simply and directly restates or captures the logical takeaway from the passage.
Hints
Focus on the phrase before the blank
Look carefully at the line “Either explanation suggests that ______.” The correct answer has to be something that would follow logically if either of her two explanations were true.
Compare the two possible explanations
Ask yourself: What common element appears in both of Anika’s explanations about why gardening book checkouts spike? That shared element should guide what the blank says.
Check each option against the passage
Eliminate any choice that says something only one explanation mentions, that introduces a comparison the passage never makes (like which topic people value more), or that contradicts the idea of spikes in demand.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the key pattern in the data
The passage says Anika compared library circulation to weather logs and found that checkouts of gardening books spike during weeks when high temperatures stay above 70°F for at least three days. This means gardening book demand is not constant; it rises at certain times that match specific weather conditions.
Understand what the two explanations have in common
Anika gives two different explanations:
- Explanation 1: Warmer weather makes residents start planting, so they borrow how-to guides.
- Explanation 2: A community garden plans workshops during warm spells, and attendees borrow related books.
In both explanations, the increase in gardening book checkouts happens during warm weather periods—either because people are planting then, or because workshops are scheduled then.
Use the phrase “Either explanation suggests that”
The blank must be something that is true no matter which of Anika’s two explanations is correct. So you should ask: What conclusion fits both the “people start planting” explanation and the “workshops during warm spells” explanation? It cannot rely only on workshops, and it cannot contradict the idea that checkouts rise at specific times.
Match the shared idea to the best answer choice
Only choice D, “the timing of increased gardening book checkouts is influenced by warm weather,” captures what both explanations share: that warm weather affects when gardening books are checked out more often. The other options either add claims not supported by the passage or contradict the described pattern, so D is the correct answer.