Question 54·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Expression of Ideas
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Library historian Nia Brooks argues that the expansion of a city's municipal branch libraries between 1905 and 1920 made translated novels broadly accessible throughout the city and diversified their readership.
- Researcher Ezra Lin examined acquisition ledgers, circulation logs, and surviving borrower records from all 24 branches in the city's library system.
- The system's holdings of translated novels rose from 190 copies in 1905 to 860 copies in 1920, while annual checkouts of such novels increased nearly fivefold.
- In 1920, six downtown branches held 68 percent of the translated novels and accounted for 72 percent of their checkouts.
- Occupations were recorded for borrowers associated with only 15 percent of checkouts, and 82 percent of those occupational records came from the six downtown branches.
- Within the surviving occupational records, the number of occupation categories represented rose from five in 1905 to twelve in 1920.
The student wants to evaluate Brooks's account using Lin's findings. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes?
When evaluating an account with several claims, identify the kind of evidence needed for each claim and assess each one separately. Distinguish systemwide totals from geographic distribution and overall use from the composition of users, then choose the option whose certainty and scope match the evidence.
Hints
Separate the claims
Consider the evidence for expanded access separately from the evidence about who borrowed the novels.
Look beyond systemwide totals
Ask whether an increase across the whole library system shows that the materials were distributed broadly among its branches.
Check representativeness
Consider whether the surviving borrower information represents patrons across all branches well enough to justify a conclusion about the entire readership.
Step-by-step Explanation
Evaluate availability and use
The rise from 190 to 860 copies and the nearly fivefold increase in checkouts show that translated novels became more available within the library system and were used more frequently.
Examine geographic distribution
Six downtown branches held 68 percent of the translated novels and generated 72 percent of their checkouts. This concentration qualifies Brooks's stronger claim that the books became broadly accessible throughout the city.
Assess the readership evidence
The surviving occupational records show a broader range of occupations, but they cover borrowers associated with only 15 percent of checkouts and are heavily concentrated in downtown branches. They therefore suggest, but do not establish, that readership diversified across the entire system.
Select the calibrated evaluation
The correct choice acknowledges the evidence supporting increased availability and use while accurately limiting what the geographic and borrower data can demonstrate.