Cite Strongest Textual Evidence Practice Test

Read the informational passage and answer the question.

A community garden group wanted to know whether compost made from food scraps could improve soil faster than store-bought fertilizer. They divided a vacant lot into twelve equal plots. In six plots, volunteers mixed in compost produced from cafeteria scraps collected for eight weeks. In the other six, they applied a standard fertilizer following the package directions. After ten weeks, the group measured soil organic matter and recorded harvest weights from the same crop (bush beans). Organic matter increased by 1.4 percentage points in the compost plots and by 0.5 points in the fertilizer plots. The compost plots produced an average of 2.8 kilograms of beans per plot, compared with 2.1 kilograms in the fertilizer plots. The group noted that compost required more labor to collect and turn, but it reduced the amount of trash sent to the landfill.

Question (Compare Evidence Strength): Which evidence most directly supports the conclusion that compost improved both soil quality and crop yield more than fertilizer did?

Read the informational passage and answer the question.

In the late 1800s, engineer Emily Roebling became closely involved in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge after her husband, Washington Roebling, developed a serious illness. Letters from the period show that she studied strength-of-materials textbooks and met regularly with the bridge’s chief assistant engineer. One newspaper article described her traveling to the construction site “nearly every day,” carrying messages between Washington and the workers. Although she was not officially named chief engineer, she explained technical details to skeptical officials during meetings about cable tensions and tower alignment. Years later, a commemorative plaque credited her with “faithful and efficient aid” during the bridge’s completion.

Question: Which quote most strongly supports the inference that Emily Roebling earned technical respect because she understood engineering details, not just because she delivered messages?