Self-study
Current maps showing the North American regions where different types of garden plants will flourish are based on weather data gathered 60 years ago from a few hundred primitive weather stations. ███ ████ ███ ███ █████ ████████ █████ ████████████ ████ ████ ███████ ████████ ██████ ███████ ████████ ███ █████ ████ ████ █████████ ██████ █████ ████████ █████ ████ ████ ██ ███ ████ ███████
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that new maps of where different plants can flourish will be far more useful than the current maps, which are based on weather data from 60 years ago. As support, the author explains that the new maps will be based on computerized data from many modern weather stations, as well as information from home gardeners.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the information sources for the new maps represent a significant advantage in usefulness over the information sources for the old maps. In other words, computerized data, a greater number of more modern weather stations, and/or home gardeners can provide more useful information than the current 60-year old data.
20.
Each of the following, if █████ █████ ██ ███████ ███ █████ ████ ███ ███ ████ ████ ██ ████ ██████ ███████
a
Home gardeners can ███████ ███████████ ██ █████ ███████████ ███ █████████ ████ ███████ █████████
This affirms the assumption that the new maps' information sources are superior, strengthening the argument. The other maps don’t feature any home gardener input, so maps with this valuable input will be more useful.
b
Some of the ███████ ████████ █████████ ██ ███ ███ ████ ████ ██ █████ ████
We have no idea if these weather stations are used in the new maps. Nor do we know how the age of a weather station affects its ability to provide useful data. This doesn’t do anything to the argument.
c
Weather patterns can ██ █████████ ████ ██████████ ████ ████ ███████████ ██ ██████████
This affirms the author's assumption that data from more stations is actually more useful. The new maps have more data so can better describe weather patterns, which supports their greater usefulness.
d
Weather conditions are ███ ████ █████████ ██████ ██ ███████████ █████ ██████ ████ █████
These maps are designed to show where plants will grow—that's what "useful" means. Since the new maps presumably have better weather data from all the new modern sources, this supports the conclusion that they'll be more useful.
e
Weather patterns have ███████ ██ ███ ████ ██ ██████
It's not just that the new maps will have better sources for weather information, they'll also have up-to-date information. This provides another reason that the new maps will be more useful, thus strengthening.