Question 5·Medium·Inferences
In 2024, archivists evaluated a box of black-and-white photographs labeled as having been made in 1932. Each print was mounted on card stock that bore a Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode. The UPC system was introduced for retail use in 1974.
Based on this evidence, which conclusion is most strongly supported?
For inference questions like this, first underline concrete facts (especially dates, quantities, or definitions). Then ask: “What must be true given these facts, without adding my own assumptions?” Test each answer by asking whether it is directly supported, contradicted, or goes beyond the evidence; eliminate choices that introduce new claims (like motives, frequencies, or extra time details) that the passage never mentions, and choose the statement that is strictly guaranteed by the information provided.
Hints
Locate the time clues
Underline or note the years mentioned in the passage and what is said about each year. How do 1932 and 1974 relate to different parts of the description?
Separate the photographs from their backing
Ask yourself: what, exactly, has the barcode on it—the images themselves or something they are mounted on? Which part does the 1974 information apply to?
Check how strong each claim is
For each answer, ask: does the passage give direct evidence for this, or is it going beyond the information given? Be careful not to assume more than is stated about when the scenes were originally photographed.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the key facts from the passage
Identify the timeline information:
- The photographs are labeled as having been made in 1932.
- Each print is mounted on card stock with a UPC barcode.
- The UPC system was introduced for retail use in 1974.
So, anything that uses the UPC system must be from 1974 or later, not earlier.
Figure out what we can safely infer
We know for sure that:
- A true UPC barcode could not exist before 1974.
- The card stock with a UPC must therefore have been manufactured no earlier than 1974.
However, nothing in the passage tells us when the actual scenes were photographed—they might have been shot in 1932 and later remounted on newer backing.
Test each answer choice against the evidence
Now compare each option to what we know:
- One choice correctly says that the card stock with the UPC could not have been made in 1932, because UPCs weren’t introduced until 1974.
- Another choice claims the scenes were not recorded in 1932, but the passage never gives evidence about when the scenes themselves were photographed.
- Another says photographers in 1932 commonly used barcodes, which directly conflicts with the fact that UPCs did not exist until 1974.
- The last says there is insufficient evidence to infer anything about production date, but we do have clear evidence about the backing’s earliest possible date.
Therefore, the conclusion most strongly supported is: “The photographs' current backing could not have been manufactured in 1932.”