SAT OwlQuestion bank / Command of Evidence
Researchers compared four varieties of wheat grown under normal rainfall and under drought conditions, measuring yield in tonnes per hectare.
| Variety | Normal rainfall | Drought |
|---|---|---|
| K-12 | 6.1 | 3.0 |
| Larkspur | 5.4 | 4.2 |
| Mesa | 4.8 | 4.1 |
| Pell | 6.4 | 2.7 |
The researchers recommend Larkspur for regions with frequent droughts, arguing that it offers the best combination of strong yields in normal years and resilience during droughts.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to support the researchers' recommendation?
Mesa's yield fell by only 0.7 tonnes per hectare under drought, the smallest decline of any variety.
Pell produced the highest yield of any variety under normal rainfall, at 6.4 tonnes per hectare.
K-12 and Pell both produced more than 6 tonnes per hectare under normal rainfall.
Larkspur produced the highest drought yield of any variety, and under normal rainfall it outyielded Mesa, the variety with the next-highest drought yield.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The recommendation rests on Larkspur doing well in both conditions. Choice D shows that Larkspur had the top drought yield (4.2) and also beat its closest drought rival, Mesa, in normal years (5.4 vs. 4.8). That is the combination the researchers describe.
Choice A is accurate and sounds like resilience, but it highlights Mesa, not Larkspur, so it would support recommending a different variety.
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