Question 38·Medium·Inferences
In rural parts of Yorkshire, England, boundary walls are built without mortar using "through stones" that span the full width of a double-stacked wall, binding the sides together. Early farm walls in New England, constructed in the late 1700s, display the same technique. Ship manifests and land records show that many of these farmers emigrated from Yorkshire and neighboring counties. Thus, historians have concluded that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For logical completion questions, first paraphrase the key evidence in your own words, then identify what kind of conclusion the author is drawing (cause-effect, comparison, explanation, etc.). Use the word cue before the blank (like "Thus") to confirm you are looking for a conclusion. Test each choice by asking: (1) Does it stay within the scope of the passage (no new big claims, no unjustified predictions)? (2) Does it follow the time order and direction of influence described? Quickly eliminate choices that introduce new facts, reverse the cause and effect, are overly extreme, or talk about times/places the passage never mentions.
Hints
Locate the cause-and-effect relationship
Look at how the passage links where the farmers came from with how the walls were built. What relationship between origin and technique is being suggested?
Pay attention to time order and direction of influence
Are the farmers in Yorkshire learning from New England, or are New England farmers more likely using methods they already knew from Yorkshire?
Watch out for answers that go beyond the passage
Be careful with choices that make very broad claims (like "virtually all") or that make predictions about the future or about regions the passage never mentions.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the key evidence
First, summarize what the passage tells you:
- In Yorkshire, walls are built without mortar using "through stones" across a double-stacked wall.
- Early New England farm walls from the late 1700s show the same technique.
- Many of these New England farmers emigrated from Yorkshire and nearby counties.
So we have a shared technique and a shared origin of the builders.
Identify the kind of conclusion being drawn
The last sentence says, "Thus, historians have concluded that _____". The word "Thus" shows that the blank should be the conclusion that follows from the evidence.
Ask: What is the most reasonable relationship between Yorkshire farmers and New England farmers, given that they used the same method and many New England farmers came from that region?
Check each option against the evidence and scope
Now test each answer choice:
- Does it stay focused on Yorkshire and early New England farmers?
- Does it follow logically from the similarity in building methods and the migration evidence?
- Does it avoid making predictions about the future or claims about places/times not mentioned?
Eliminate any option that talks about people learning from New England later, that makes sweeping claims (like "virtually all"), or that predicts future changes not supported by the text.
Choose the conclusion that matches the evidence
Only choice A directly connects the evidence: it says that early New England stone wall methods came from techniques brought over by settlers from Yorkshire and nearby counties. That matches the facts that (1) the same method is seen in both places and (2) many New England farmers emigrated from that region, so historians can reasonably conclude that the technique was imported. Therefore, the correct answer is A) early New England stone wall construction methods were derived from techniques brought by settlers from Yorkshire and nearby counties.