16Hit1600
Information and IdeasEasy–MediumMatch percentage to correct age group

Information and Ideas practice question

In a field study of a rural dialect, linguist Neha Ramnath recorded 240 speakers pronouncing a list of common words and noted how often each speaker used the traditional local pronunciation of the vowel in words like "house" and "about" rather than the pronunciation common in nearby cities. Age group / Percent of speakers using the traditional pronunciation 18-29 / 12% 30-44 / 31% 45-59 / 58% 60 and older / 84% Ramnath concluded that the traditional pronunciation is receding in the community, noting that its use drops steadily across the age groups, from 84 percent among speakers aged 60 and older to

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete Ramnath's statement?

  1. A. 12 percent among speakers aged 18-29.Correct
  2. B. 31 percent among speakers aged 18-29.
  3. C. 58 percent among speakers aged 18-29.
  4. D. 12 percent among speakers aged 30-44.

Answer: A. 12 percent among speakers aged 18-29.

The statement traces the decline to the youngest group, so it must end with the 18-29 figure, which is 12 percent (choice A). Choice B assigns the 30-44 group's 31 percent to the 18-29 group. Choice C assigns the 45-59 group's 58 percent to the 18-29 group. Choice D pairs the correct percentage with the wrong age group, which would leave out the youngest speakers and misstate the table.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. 31 percent among speakers aged 18-29.
31 percent is the 30-44 group's figure; the 18-29 row shows 12 percent.
C. 58 percent among speakers aged 18-29.
58 percent belongs to the 45-59 group, not 18-29, which is 12 percent.
D. 12 percent among speakers aged 30-44.
12 percent is the right number but it belongs to the 18-29 row; attaching it to 30-44 misstates the table and stops short of the youngest speakers.

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