Inferences practice questions

Inferences questions

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1. 1InferencesFoundation

   A museum kept its reading room open two evenings each week. After the change, attendance records showed that many visitors used the room after standard work hours. Which inference is best supported by the records?A museum kept its reading room open two evenings each week. After the change, attendance records showed that many visitors used the room after standard work hours. Which inference is best supported by the records?

   • AEvery visitor works a standard daytime schedule.Every visitor works a standard daytime schedule.
   • BEvening hours made the reading room more accessible to some visitors.Evening hours made the reading room more accessible to some visitors.
   • CAttendance fell after the new hours began.Attendance fell after the new hours began.
   • DThe museum should close the reading room during the day.The museum should close the reading room during the day.
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   Answer: Evening hours made the reading room more accessible to some visitors.Evening hours made the reading room more accessible to some visitors.

   Use after standard work hours supports the modest inference that later access helped some people. The records do not establish every visitor's schedule or require any other change in hours.Use after standard work hours supports the modest inference that later access helped some people. The records do not establish every visitor's schedule or require any other change in hours.

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2. 2InferencesStandard

   A city pilot program placed repair stations along a popular bicycle route. In surveys, riders said they valued being able to make small repairs without ending a trip. What conclusion is most reasonable?A city pilot program placed repair stations along a popular bicycle route. In surveys, riders said they valued being able to make small repairs without ending a trip. What conclusion is most reasonable?

   • AAll riders can repair every kind of bicycle problem.All riders can repair every kind of bicycle problem.
   • BThe city should ban car traffic on every street.The city should ban car traffic on every street.
   • CThe route is unsafe for bicycles.The route is unsafe for bicycles.
   • DRepair stations can reduce one practical barrier to cycling trips.Repair stations can reduce one practical barrier to cycling trips.
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   Answer: Repair stations can reduce one practical barrier to cycling trips.Repair stations can reduce one practical barrier to cycling trips.

   The riders describe small repairs as helping them continue a trip. That supports a limited conclusion about removing a practical obstacle, not the broader claims in the other choices.The riders describe small repairs as helping them continue a trip. That supports a limited conclusion about removing a practical obstacle, not the broader claims in the other choices.

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3. 3InferencesStandard

   A museum began labeling its exhibits in two languages. Over the next year, attendance from nearby neighborhoods where the second language is widely spoken rose by about a third, while the museum's overall attendance was unchanged. Which choice is best supported by the text?A museum began labeling its exhibits in two languages. Over the next year, attendance from nearby neighborhoods where the second language is widely spoken rose by about a third, while the museum's overall attendance was unchanged. Which choice is best supported by the text?

   • AThe bilingual labels likely made the exhibits more accessible to some nearby residents.The bilingual labels likely made the exhibits more accessible to some nearby residents.
   • BThe museum intends to add labels in a third language.The museum intends to add labels in a third language.
   • COverall attendance fell because visitors disliked the new labels.Overall attendance fell because visitors disliked the new labels.
   • DMost of the museum's visitors read only the second language.Most of the museum's visitors read only the second language.
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   Answer: The bilingual labels likely made the exhibits more accessible to some nearby residents.The bilingual labels likely made the exhibits more accessible to some nearby residents.

   A rise concentrated in neighborhoods that speak the added language points to accessibility. The text states overall attendance was unchanged, rules out nothing about most visitors, and says nothing about future plans.A rise concentrated in neighborhoods that speak the added language points to accessibility. The text states overall attendance was unchanged, rules out nothing about most visitors, and says nothing about future plans.

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4. 4InferencesStandard

   A publisher released two editions of the same novel: one with the author's original ending and one with a revised ending. Readers who bought the revised edition were more likely to buy the author's next book, though the two groups rated the novel equally. Which choice is best supported?A publisher released two editions of the same novel: one with the author's original ending and one with a revised ending. Readers who bought the revised edition were more likely to buy the author's next book, though the two groups rated the novel equally. Which choice is best supported?

   • AThe author wrote the revised ending in response to reader complaints.The author wrote the revised ending in response to reader complaints.
   • BReaders preferred the revised ending to the original.Readers preferred the revised ending to the original.
   • CThe original edition sold more copies than the revised one.The original edition sold more copies than the revised one.
   • DSomething other than overall enjoyment influenced whether readers returned for the next book.Something other than overall enjoyment influenced whether readers returned for the next book.
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   Answer: Something other than overall enjoyment influenced whether readers returned for the next book.Something other than overall enjoyment influenced whether readers returned for the next book.

   Equal ratings rule out overall enjoyment as the explanation, yet the groups differed in repeat purchases, so some other factor is at work. The remaining choices assert preferences, sales, or motives the text does not report.Equal ratings rule out overall enjoyment as the explanation, yet the groups differed in repeat purchases, so some other factor is at work. The remaining choices assert preferences, sales, or motives the text does not report.

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5. 5InferencesStandard

   A bakery moved its opening time from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m. Sales in the first hour were small, but total daily sales rose by about a tenth, and the bakery reported selling out of bread less often. Which choice is best supported?A bakery moved its opening time from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m. Sales in the first hour were small, but total daily sales rose by about a tenth, and the bakery reported selling out of bread less often. Which choice is best supported?

   • AThe bakery began producing considerably more bread.The bakery began producing considerably more bread.
   • BThe earlier opening changed how the day's baking was distributed rather than simply adding an hour of sales.The earlier opening changed how the day's baking was distributed rather than simply adding an hour of sales.
   • CCustomers prefer bread bought early in the morning.Customers prefer bread bought early in the morning.
   • DMost customers now arrive before 7 a.m.Most customers now arrive before 7 a.m.
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   Answer: The earlier opening changed how the day's baking was distributed rather than simply adding an hour of sales.The earlier opening changed how the day's baking was distributed rather than simply adding an hour of sales.

   First-hour sales were small, so the extra hour cannot account for a tenth more sales; selling out less often points to redistribution across the day. The text does not report more baking or say when most customers arrive.First-hour sales were small, so the extra hour cannot account for a tenth more sales; selling out less often points to redistribution across the day. The text does not report more baking or say when most customers arrive.

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6. 6InferencesStandard

   A journal began publishing the reviewer comments alongside each accepted article. In the following two years, the number of submissions was unchanged, but the average time reviewers spent on a report rose by a third. Which choice is best supported?A journal began publishing the reviewer comments alongside each accepted article. In the following two years, the number of submissions was unchanged, but the average time reviewers spent on a report rose by a third. Which choice is best supported?

   • AThe change discouraged authors from submitting.The change discouraged authors from submitting.
   • BThe journal received better submissions after the change.The journal received better submissions after the change.
   • CReviewers were paid more for their time.Reviewers were paid more for their time.
   • DReviewers wrote more carefully once their comments would be published.Reviewers wrote more carefully once their comments would be published.
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   Answer: Reviewers wrote more carefully once their comments would be published.Reviewers wrote more carefully once their comments would be published.

   Time spent per report rose while everything else stayed constant, and publication is the only change reported. Submission quality, payment and discouragement are not measured — indeed submissions were unchanged.Time spent per report rose while everything else stayed constant, and publication is the only change reported. Submission quality, payment and discouragement are not measured — indeed submissions were unchanged.

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7. 7InferencesStandard

   A publisher moved its submission deadline from December to March. The number of manuscripts received was unchanged, but the proportion sent back for basic formatting errors fell by half. Which choice is best supported?A publisher moved its submission deadline from December to March. The number of manuscripts received was unchanged, but the proportion sent back for basic formatting errors fell by half. Which choice is best supported?

   • AThe formatting requirements were made simpler.The formatting requirements were made simpler.
   • BDecember is a poor month for writing.December is a poor month for writing.
   • CWriters used at least some of the extra time to prepare their submissions more carefully.Writers used at least some of the extra time to prepare their submissions more carefully.
   • DThe publisher received better manuscripts because fewer people submitted.The publisher received better manuscripts because fewer people submitted.
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   Answer: Writers used at least some of the extra time to prepare their submissions more carefully.Writers used at least some of the extra time to prepare their submissions more carefully.

   The volume held steady while preparation quality improved, and the only reported change is the extra time. The second choice contradicts the unchanged count, and the requirements are not said to have changed.The volume held steady while preparation quality improved, and the only reported change is the extra time. The second choice contradicts the unchanged count, and the requirements are not said to have changed.

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8. 8InferencesStandard

   The ship's log for 14 March records the crew's rations halved and the carpenter set to work on the boats. The entry for 15 March is in a different hand.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the ship's situation?The ship's log for 14 March records the crew's rations halved and the carpenter set to work on the boats. The entry for 15 March is in a different hand. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the ship's situation?

   • AThe carpenter had taken over the keeping of the log.The carpenter had taken over the keeping of the log.
   • BConditions had worsened enough that the crew were preparing to leave the ship.Conditions had worsened enough that the crew were preparing to leave the ship.
   • CThe ship went down on 15 March.The ship went down on 15 March.
   • DThe crew had mutinied before 15 March.The crew had mutinied before 15 March.
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   Answer: Conditions had worsened enough that the crew were preparing to leave the ship.Conditions had worsened enough that the crew were preparing to leave the ship.

   Halved rations and work on the boats point the same way: supplies were short and the boats were being readied. A change of hand shows only that someone else wrote the entry, which is a long way from identifying who, or from a sinking or a mutiny the log never mentions.Halved rations and work on the boats point the same way: supplies were short and the boats were being readied. A change of hand shows only that someone else wrote the entry, which is a long way from identifying who, or from a sinking or a mutiny the log never mentions.

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9. 9InferencesStandard

   The bakery's accounts for 1911 record flour bought in April at twice the January price, with a note in the margin reading "shortfall — see Whitby". No entry for Whitby appears anywhere else in the ledger.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the April purchase?The bakery's accounts for 1911 record flour bought in April at twice the January price, with a note in the margin reading "shortfall — see Whitby". No entry for Whitby appears anywhere else in the ledger. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the April purchase?

   • AThe bakery closed later that year.The bakery closed later that year.
   • BWhitby was the name of the bakery's owner.Whitby was the name of the bakery's owner.
   • CIt was connected to a supply problem that the ledger does not otherwise explain.It was connected to a supply problem that the ledger does not otherwise explain.
   • DFlour prices doubled across the country that spring.Flour prices doubled across the country that spring.
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   Answer: It was connected to a supply problem that the ledger does not otherwise explain.It was connected to a supply problem that the ledger does not otherwise explain.

   A doubled price and the word "shortfall" point to supply, and the missing Whitby entry is what makes the explanation incomplete rather than absent. The ledger says nothing about closure, about who Whitby was, or about prices anywhere else.A doubled price and the word "shortfall" point to supply, and the missing Whitby entry is what makes the explanation incomplete rather than absent. The ledger says nothing about closure, about who Whitby was, or about prices anywhere else.

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10. 10InferencesStandard

    A lighthouse keeper's journal for February 1889 records the weather twice a day without fail. The entries stop on the 14th and resume on the 22nd in the same hand, with no explanation. The relief boat's log shows it reached the rock on the 21st.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about that week?A lighthouse keeper's journal for February 1889 records the weather twice a day without fail. The entries stop on the 14th and resume on the 22nd in the same hand, with no explanation. The relief boat's log shows it reached the rock on the 21st. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about that week?

    • AThe keeper had died and been replaced.The keeper had died and been replaced.
    • BThe journal pages for that week were lost.The journal pages for that week were lost.
    • CThe lighthouse stood unmanned from the 14th to the 21st.The lighthouse stood unmanned from the 14th to the 21st.
    • DSomething stopped the keeper writing that week, and the entries resumed as the relief arrived.Something stopped the keeper writing that week, and the entries resumed as the relief arrived.
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    Answer: Something stopped the keeper writing that week, and the entries resumed as the relief arrived.Something stopped the keeper writing that week, and the entries resumed as the relief arrived.

    The same hand rules out a replacement, and pages torn out would not resume mid-month in sequence. What the records support is a gap in the writing that ends when help arrives — which is a smaller claim than any explanation of why.The same hand rules out a replacement, and pages torn out would not resume mid-month in sequence. What the records support is a gap in the writing that ends when help arrives — which is a smaller claim than any explanation of why.

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11. 11InferencesStandard

    The 1841 census lists the household as five: a weaver, his wife and three children under ten. The 1851 census lists the same address with eleven occupants across three surnames, and the weaver is described as a lodging-house keeper.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the household?The 1841 census lists the household as five: a weaver, his wife and three children under ten. The 1851 census lists the same address with eleven occupants across three surnames, and the weaver is described as a lodging-house keeper. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the household?

    • AThe weaver had died and the house had been sold.The weaver had died and the house had been sold.
    • BThe house had changed from a family home into a business taking in lodgers.The house had changed from a family home into a business taking in lodgers.
    • CWeaving had been prohibited in the district.Weaving had been prohibited in the district.
    • DThe three children had all left home.The three children had all left home.
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    Answer: The house had changed from a family home into a business taking in lodgers.The house had changed from a family home into a business taking in lodgers.

    Three surnames at one address, eleven occupants and a new occupation for the same man point the same way. The weaver appears in the later census, so he had not died, and nothing indicates what became of the children.Three surnames at one address, eleven occupants and a new occupation for the same man point the same way. The weaver appears in the later census, so he had not died, and nothing indicates what became of the children.

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12. 12InferencesStandard

    The orchestra's program for the 1938 season lists a symphony by a composer whose name has been struck through in ink and replaced in pencil with another. The printed program for the following week omits the first composer entirely, and no performance of the work is recorded.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the season?The orchestra's program for the 1938 season lists a symphony by a composer whose name has been struck through in ink and replaced in pencil with another. The printed program for the following week omits the first composer entirely, and no performance of the work is recorded. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the season?

    • AThe first composer had written a second work that was preferred.The first composer had written a second work that was preferred.
    • BThe orchestra had run out of copies of the score.The orchestra had run out of copies of the score.
    • CThe pencil annotation was made by an audience member.The pencil annotation was made by an audience member.
    • DThe work was withdrawn after the program was printed, and the substitution was made late.The work was withdrawn after the program was printed, and the substitution was made late.
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    Answer: The work was withdrawn after the program was printed, and the substitution was made late.The work was withdrawn after the program was printed, and the substitution was made late.

    Ink struck through and pencil written over it, on a program already printed, is a change made after printing. The later program dropping the composer and no performance being recorded together indicate a withdrawal rather than a preference between two works.Ink struck through and pencil written over it, on a program already printed, is a change made after printing. The later program dropping the composer and no performance being recorded together indicate a withdrawal rather than a preference between two works.

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13. 13InferencesStandard

    The ledger for the coaching inn records stabling for twelve horses a night through the 1830s, four a night by 1845, and none after 1847. The railway reached the town in 1844.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the inn?The ledger for the coaching inn records stabling for twelve horses a night through the 1830s, four a night by 1845, and none after 1847. The railway reached the town in 1844. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the inn?

    • AThe inn closed in 1847.The inn closed in 1847.
    • BThe horses had been sold to the railway company.The horses had been sold to the railway company.
    • CThe ledger for the later years is incomplete.The ledger for the later years is incomplete.
    • DThe inn's stabling trade fell away as the railway took the traffic it depended on.The inn's stabling trade fell away as the railway took the traffic it depended on.
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    Answer: The inn's stabling trade fell away as the railway took the traffic it depended on.The inn's stabling trade fell away as the railway took the traffic it depended on.

    A fall beginning the year after the railway arrived, in exactly the trade the railway replaced, supports that connection. Stabling ending is not the same as the inn closing, and the ledger continues to be kept — it records none.A fall beginning the year after the railway arrived, in exactly the trade the railway replaced, supports that connection. Stabling ending is not the same as the inn closing, and the ledger continues to be kept — it records none.

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14. 14InferencesStandard

    The manor accounts list payments to a glazier in 1487, 1488 and 1489, and then nothing for eleven years. In 1500 the entry reads "for the great window, new". The building has one window that is stylistically later than the rest.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the building?The manor accounts list payments to a glazier in 1487, 1488 and 1489, and then nothing for eleven years. In 1500 the entry reads "for the great window, new". The building has one window that is stylistically later than the rest. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the building?

    • AThe glazier died in 1489.The glazier died in 1489.
    • BThe house was uninhabited between 1489 and 1500.The house was uninhabited between 1489 and 1500.
    • CThe accounts for the missing years were destroyed.The accounts for the missing years were destroyed.
    • DThe repeated early payments were maintenance, and the 1500 payment was for the window that still looks later.The repeated early payments were maintenance, and the 1500 payment was for the window that still looks later.
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    Answer: The repeated early payments were maintenance, and the 1500 payment was for the window that still looks later.The repeated early payments were maintenance, and the 1500 payment was for the window that still looks later.

    Three payments in three years followed by a gap fits ongoing upkeep; a single payment described as "new" for a "great window", together with one window that looks later, fits a replacement. The accounts continue through the gap, so they were not lost.Three payments in three years followed by a gap fits ongoing upkeep; a single payment described as "new" for a "great window", together with one window that looks later, fits a replacement. The accounts continue through the gap, so they were not lost.

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15. 15InferencesChallenge

    A bakery began posting the day's remaining stock on a screen near its door each afternoon. Over the next six months, the amount of unsold bread discarded at closing fell, and the bakery did not reduce how much it baked. Which choice is best supported by the text?A bakery began posting the day's remaining stock on a screen near its door each afternoon. Over the next six months, the amount of unsold bread discarded at closing fell, and the bakery did not reduce how much it baked. Which choice is best supported by the text?

    • AThe screen eliminated the bakery's operating costs.The screen eliminated the bakery's operating costs.
    • BThe bakery began baking noticeably less bread than before.The bakery began baking noticeably less bread than before.
    • CAfternoon customers likely shifted their purchases toward items the bakery had in surplus.Afternoon customers likely shifted their purchases toward items the bakery had in surplus.
    • DMost of the bakery's customers arrive in the morning.Most of the bakery's customers arrive in the morning.
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    Answer: Afternoon customers likely shifted their purchases toward items the bakery had in surplus.Afternoon customers likely shifted their purchases toward items the bakery had in surplus.

    Less waste with unchanged production means more of what was left over was sold, and the screen is the only stated change. The text explicitly rules out baking less, and says nothing about total costs or morning traffic.Less waste with unchanged production means more of what was left over was sold, and the screen is the only stated change. The text explicitly rules out baking less, and says nothing about total costs or morning traffic.

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16. 16InferencesChallenge

    An orchestra moved its Friday concerts from 8 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Attendance rose among people living more than twenty miles away and was unchanged among those living closer. Which choice is best supported?An orchestra moved its Friday concerts from 8 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Attendance rose among people living more than twenty miles away and was unchanged among those living closer. Which choice is best supported?

    • APeople living nearby prefer later concerts.People living nearby prefer later concerts.
    • BTicket prices fell when the start time moved.Ticket prices fell when the start time moved.
    • CThe later finish had been a barrier for some people traveling a longer distance.The later finish had been a barrier for some people traveling a longer distance.
    • DThe orchestra's programming improved after the change.The orchestra's programming improved after the change.
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    Answer: The later finish had been a barrier for some people traveling a longer distance.The later finish had been a barrier for some people traveling a longer distance.

    The rise is concentrated among distant attendees, for whom an earlier finish matters most; the unchanged local figure gives no reason to infer a local preference. Programming and prices are not mentioned.The rise is concentrated among distant attendees, for whom an earlier finish matters most; the unchanged local figure gives no reason to infer a local preference. Programming and prices are not mentioned.

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17. 17InferencesChallenge

    An orchestra published its rehearsal recordings online. Concert attendance was unchanged, but recording downloads were highest in the week before each concert and fell sharply afterwards. Which choice is best supported?An orchestra published its rehearsal recordings online. Concert attendance was unchanged, but recording downloads were highest in the week before each concert and fell sharply afterwards. Which choice is best supported?

    • AThe orchestra should stop publishing the recordings.The orchestra should stop publishing the recordings.
    • BMost downloads came from people outside the city.Most downloads came from people outside the city.
    • CThe recordings were used mainly as preparation by people who were going to attend anyway.The recordings were used mainly as preparation by people who were going to attend anyway.
    • DThe recordings reduced concert attendance.The recordings reduced concert attendance.
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    Answer: The recordings were used mainly as preparation by people who were going to attend anyway.The recordings were used mainly as preparation by people who were going to attend anyway.

    A download pattern that peaks before each concert and collapses after it fits preparation rather than substitution, and attendance was unchanged. The text gives no locations and makes no recommendation.A download pattern that peaks before each concert and collapses after it fits preparation rather than substitution, and attendance was unchanged. The text gives no locations and makes no recommendation.

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18. 18InferencesChallenge

    A supermarket moved its bakery from the back of the store to just inside the entrance. Bread sales were unchanged, but sales of items stocked near the old bakery location fell by about a fifth. Which choice is best supported?A supermarket moved its bakery from the back of the store to just inside the entrance. Bread sales were unchanged, but sales of items stocked near the old bakery location fell by about a fifth. Which choice is best supported?

    • AShoppers who previously walked to the back of the store were passing those items on the way.Shoppers who previously walked to the back of the store were passing those items on the way.
    • BThe new bakery location is less convenient for shoppers.The new bakery location is less convenient for shoppers.
    • CThe items near the old location became more expensive.The items near the old location became more expensive.
    • DShoppers stopped buying bread after the move.Shoppers stopped buying bread after the move.
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    Answer: Shoppers who previously walked to the back of the store were passing those items on the way.Shoppers who previously walked to the back of the store were passing those items on the way.

    Bread sales held while nearby sales fell, which points to lost footfall rather than lost interest in bread. Prices and convenience are never mentioned.Bread sales held while nearby sales fell, which points to lost footfall rather than lost interest in bread. Prices and convenience are never mentioned.

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19. 19InferencesChallenge

    A museum began offering a printed floor plan at the entrance. Average visit length was unchanged, but the number of rooms an average visitor entered rose from four to seven. Which choice is best supported?A museum began offering a printed floor plan at the entrance. Average visit length was unchanged, but the number of rooms an average visitor entered rose from four to seven. Which choice is best supported?

    • AVisitors spent less time in each room they entered.Visitors spent less time in each room they entered.
    • BMost visitors had never been to the museum before.Most visitors had never been to the museum before.
    • CThe floor plan made visits longer.The floor plan made visits longer.
    • DVisitors found the museum confusing before the change.Visitors found the museum confusing before the change.
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    Answer: Visitors spent less time in each room they entered.Visitors spent less time in each room they entered.

    The same total time spread over more rooms means less time per room; that follows arithmetically. Visit length is explicitly unchanged, and the text says nothing about confusion or about first-time visitors.The same total time spread over more rooms means less time per room; that follows arithmetically. Visit length is explicitly unchanged, and the text says nothing about confusion or about first-time visitors.

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20. 20InferencesChallenge

    Seed banks hold seeds at -20° Celsius, a temperature at which most species stay viable for decades. Around a third of the world's tree species, though, produce seeds that die if they are dried, and drying is the step that makes freezing survivable. For those species a seed bank is not an option, and conservation has to mean living collections in the ground.Which choice is most strongly supported by the text?Seed banks hold seeds at -20° Celsius, a temperature at which most species stay viable for decades. Around a third of the world's tree species, though, produce seeds that die if they are dried, and drying is the step that makes freezing survivable. For those species a seed bank is not an option, and conservation has to mean living collections in the ground. Which choice is most strongly supported by the text?

    • AMost tree species cannot be held in seed banks.Most tree species cannot be held in seed banks.
    • BFreezing harms undried seeds because cold is damaging in itself.Freezing harms undried seeds because cold is damaging in itself.
    • CWhether a species can be banked depends on a property of its seeds rather than on the bank's equipment.Whether a species can be banked depends on a property of its seeds rather than on the bank's equipment.
    • DLiving collections cost more to maintain than seed banks do.Living collections cost more to maintain than seed banks do.
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    Answer: Whether a species can be banked depends on a property of its seeds rather than on the bank's equipment.Whether a species can be banked depends on a property of its seeds rather than on the bank's equipment.

    The obstacle described is that the seeds die on drying, which is a fact about the seeds. A third is not most, the text names drying rather than cold as the step these seeds fail, and cost is never raised.The obstacle described is that the seeds die on drying, which is a fact about the seeds. A third is not most, the text names drying rather than cold as the step these seeds fail, and cost is never raised.

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21. 21InferencesChallenge

    Sediment cores from the lake show a sharp layer of charcoal at a depth corresponding to about 1200 CE. Directly above it, pollen from cereal crops appears for the first time and tree pollen falls by two thirds.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the site?Sediment cores from the lake show a sharp layer of charcoal at a depth corresponding to about 1200 CE. Directly above it, pollen from cereal crops appears for the first time and tree pollen falls by two thirds. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the site?

    • AA natural wildfire destroyed the woodland around the lake.A natural wildfire destroyed the woodland around the lake.
    • BCereal farming had been practiced beside the lake for centuries.Cereal farming had been practiced beside the lake for centuries.
    • CAround 1200 CE the woodland was cleared and the land was put to arable use.Around 1200 CE the woodland was cleared and the land was put to arable use.
    • DThe lake dried out shortly after 1200 CE.The lake dried out shortly after 1200 CE.
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    Answer: Around 1200 CE the woodland was cleared and the land was put to arable use.Around 1200 CE the woodland was cleared and the land was put to arable use.

    Burning, a collapse in tree pollen and the first appearance of cereals, in that order and at that depth, is the signature of clearance for farming. A natural fire would not be followed by crops, and cereals appearing for the first time rules out centuries of earlier farming.Burning, a collapse in tree pollen and the first appearance of cereals, in that order and at that depth, is the signature of clearance for farming. A natural fire would not be followed by crops, and cereals appearing for the first time rules out centuries of earlier farming.

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22. 22InferencesChallenge

    Analysis of the pigment shows a synthetic ultramarine that was not manufactured until 1828. The panel itself has been dated by tree rings to a tree felled between 1490 and 1505, and the paint layer sits directly on the original ground with no intervening varnish.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the panel?Analysis of the pigment shows a synthetic ultramarine that was not manufactured until 1828. The panel itself has been dated by tree rings to a tree felled between 1490 and 1505, and the paint layer sits directly on the original ground with no intervening varnish. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the panel?

    • AThe tree-ring dating must be mistaken.The tree-ring dating must be mistaken.
    • BSynthetic ultramarine was in use before 1828.Synthetic ultramarine was in use before 1828.
    • CThe panel was repainted in the nineteenth century over an earlier image.The panel was repainted in the nineteenth century over an earlier image.
    • DThe painting is a nineteenth-century work on a much older panel.The painting is a nineteenth-century work on a much older panel.
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    Answer: The painting is a nineteenth-century work on a much older panel.The painting is a nineteenth-century work on a much older panel.

    Two datings conflict only if the paint and the panel must be contemporary, and they need not be. The absence of varnish between the ground and the paint is what rules out an earlier image having been painted over: there is no earlier paint layer.Two datings conflict only if the paint and the panel must be contemporary, and they need not be. The absence of varnish between the ground and the paint is what rules out an earlier image having been painted over: there is no earlier paint layer.

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23. 23InferencesChallenge

    The parish register records 31 burials in 1665, against a ten-year average of 9. Of the 31, 24 fall between June and September. The register notes no burials at all for the first week of August, and the handwriting changes permanently after that week.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about 1665?The parish register records 31 burials in 1665, against a ten-year average of 9. Of the 31, 24 fall between June and September. The register notes no burials at all for the first week of August, and the handwriting changes permanently after that week. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about 1665?

    • AThe parish escaped the outbreak in August.The parish escaped the outbreak in August.
    • BThe register's figures for 1665 were invented later.The register's figures for 1665 were invented later.
    • CBurials were forbidden during the first week of August.Burials were forbidden during the first week of August.
    • DThe person keeping the register was very likely among the dead, and that week went unrecorded.The person keeping the register was very likely among the dead, and that week went unrecorded.
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    Answer: The person keeping the register was very likely among the dead, and that week went unrecorded.The person keeping the register was very likely among the dead, and that week went unrecorded.

    A gap in the record during the worst months, followed by a permanent change of hand, points to the recorder rather than to the burials stopping. A parish burying three times its normal number does not pause for a week in the middle of it.A gap in the record during the worst months, followed by a permanent change of hand, points to the recorder rather than to the burials stopping. A parish burying three times its normal number does not pause for a week in the middle of it.

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24. 24InferencesChallenge

    A glacier's terminal moraine sits 4 km down-valley from its present snout. Lichen on the moraine boulders indicates roughly 180 years of exposure, and the species growing there is one that colonises only after the ice has gone.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the glacier?A glacier's terminal moraine sits 4 km down-valley from its present snout. Lichen on the moraine boulders indicates roughly 180 years of exposure, and the species growing there is one that colonises only after the ice has gone. Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the glacier?

    • AThe glacier has advanced 4 km in the past 180 years.The glacier has advanced 4 km in the past 180 years.
    • BThe lichen was carried to the moraine by wind.The lichen was carried to the moraine by wind.
    • CThe moraine was formed by a river rather than by ice.The moraine was formed by a river rather than by ice.
    • DThe glacier stood 4 km further down the valley about 180 years ago and has retreated since.The glacier stood 4 km further down the valley about 180 years ago and has retreated since.
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    Answer: The glacier stood 4 km further down the valley about 180 years ago and has retreated since.The glacier stood 4 km further down the valley about 180 years ago and has retreated since.

    A terminal moraine marks the furthest extent of the ice, and lichen that only grows on exposed rock dates the moment the ice left it. The two together place the snout 4 km further down 180 years ago, which is a retreat rather than an advance.A terminal moraine marks the furthest extent of the ice, and lichen that only grows on exposed rock dates the moment the ice left it. The two together place the snout 4 km further down 180 years ago, which is a retreat rather than an advance.

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