Information and IdeasHardCommand of evidence (quantitative)
Information and Ideas practice question
A researcher hypothesized that city gardens increase the diversity of local bee species. She surveyed bee species in 20 neighborhoods, half with community gardens and half without.
Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the researcher's hypothesis?
- A. Neighborhoods with gardens had, on average, more bee species than those without.Correct
- B. Bees were observed visiting flowers in every neighborhood surveyed.
- C. Community gardens were more common in wealthier neighborhoods.
- D. The total number of bees was similar across all neighborhoods.
Answer: A. Neighborhoods with gardens had, on average, more bee species than those without.
The hypothesis is about diversity (number of species) being higher where gardens exist. A directly measures more species with gardens. D is about total count, not diversity; B and C are irrelevant to the comparison.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Bees were observed visiting flowers in every neighborhood surveyed.
- Bees showing up everywhere tells you nothing about whether gardens raise the *number of species* — it's true in both groups, so it can't support a comparison.
- C. Community gardens were more common in wealthier neighborhoods.
- This is a fact about where gardens are located, not about bee diversity; it introduces a different variable instead of testing the hypothesis.
- D. The total number of bees was similar across all neighborhoods.
- You matched on 'number of bees,' but the hypothesis is about diversity — how many different species — not total individuals, and equal totals could hide very different species counts.
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