Identify which piece of textual or quantitative evidence most directly supports a given claim.
21 original command of evidence questions in the SAT Ranker bank, with instant scoring and an Elo-based rank once you sign up. Below are a few free samples with full explanations.
Urban planners have long debated whether wider roads reduce traffic congestion. Data from several mid-sized cities that expanded major arteries in the 2000s shows a counterintuitive pattern: within five years, traffic volumes rose to match or exceed the new capacity, a phenomenon researchers call 'induced demand.' Congestion, measured in average commute time, was often no better — and in a few cases slightly worse — than before the expansion.
Which finding from the passage most directly supports the concept of 'induced demand'?
Induced demand refers to new capacity generating new traffic to fill it — directly described by the finding that volumes rose to match the expanded capacity.
A researcher surveyed 500 commuters about their primary mode of transportation before and after a new light-rail line opened. Before the line opened, 12% of respondents used public transit. One year after opening, that figure rose to 31%, while the share reporting car commutes fell from 68% to 52%.
Which statement is most strongly supported by the data described in the passage?
12% to 31% is roughly a threefold increase in transit use, and car commuting dropped from 68% to 52%, supporting the second choice. The data doesn't mention walking or claim car commuting was eliminated.
Advocates of four-day workweeks point to a large multi-company trial in which most participating firms reported unchanged or improved output despite a 20% reduction in scheduled hours, alongside markedly lower employee-reported burnout scores.
Which finding from the passage most directly supports the claim that shorter workweeks do not necessarily reduce output?
The claim is specifically about output not necessarily declining with fewer hours. The finding that output stayed the same or improved despite a 20% reduction in hours directly supports that, while the other choices are about burnout or trial design, not output.
Proponents of a proposed bike-lane expansion cite a nearby city's experience: after adding protected bike lanes on its busiest corridor, that city recorded a 30% drop in cyclist injuries over two years, even as the number of daily cyclists increased by half.
Which finding from the passage most directly supports the claim that protected bike lanes improve cyclist safety?
A drop in injuries despite more people cycling directly supports improved safety per cyclist, which is the specific claim in question. The other choices describe context, not safety evidence.
A school implemented a 10-minute daily recess extension. At the end of the semester, teachers reported a noticeable improvement in students' afternoon focus, and disciplinary referrals during afternoon classes dropped by nearly half.
Which finding from the passage most directly supports the claim that the extended recess improved student focus?
A drop in disciplinary referrals during the specific time frame affected (afternoon classes) directly supports improved focus/behavior, matching the second choice.