Question 160·Easy·Inferences
In a university newsletter, Professor Lin described how his introductory robotics course changed over the years. Before 2020, the course relied mainly on lectures, and class enrollment rarely exceeded 20 students. After Lin added weekly hands-on lab projects in 2021, enrollment jumped to 60 students. Lin wrote that he had been "surprised and delighted by the surge in enthusiasm" once the labs were introduced.
This information suggests that Lin would most likely attribute the increase in enrollment in his course to ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT Reading & Writing inference questions that ask what someone would “most likely attribute” something to, first identify the effect (here, increased enrollment and enthusiasm) and then scan the passage for a specific change or cause directly tied to that effect, using cue words like “after,” “once,” or “because.” Eliminate answer choices that introduce new information not mentioned in the passage or that describe outside factors (like general trends or schedule changes) unless the text clearly connects them, and choose the option that best matches the cause implied by the author’s own words.
Hints
Pinpoint the change over time
Look back at how the course was described before 2020 and how it changed in 2021. What specific new element was added to the course at the same time enrollment increased?
Use Lin’s own words
Focus on the phrase “surprised and delighted by the surge in enthusiasm once the labs were introduced.” What does this suggest about what Lin thinks caused the increased enthusiasm?
Eliminate outside causes
Ask yourself which answer choices describe things mentioned in the passage as changing, and which ones bring in new ideas (like overall university trends or schedule changes) that the passage never talks about.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks what Lin would most likely attribute (or credit) the increase in enrollment to. That means you must find, in the passage, what cause is linked to the effect of higher enrollment and more enthusiasm.
Identify the key change and its effect
Locate the contrast in the passage:
- Before 2020: mainly lectures; enrollment rarely exceeded 20.
- After 2021 change: Lin added weekly hands-on lab projects, and enrollment jumped to 60.
Then look at Lin’s comment: he was “surprised and delighted by the surge in enthusiasm once the labs were introduced.” The word “once” connects the surge in enthusiasm to the introduction of labs, strongly implying a cause-and-effect relationship.
Match the best-supported cause to the answer choices
Now compare the answer choices with the cause suggested by the passage. Only one choice points to the specific change that happened right before enrollment increased and that Lin directly connects to a surge in enthusiasm: the addition of hands-on lab projects. This is the only option clearly supported by the information in the passage, so it is the correct completion of the sentence.