Bluebook SAT Test Command of Evidence Textual 1

Question 1

A student claims: 'The author believes that technology has made people less capable of sustained attention.' Which quotation from a passage would best support this claim?

Accepted Answer

'Studies indicate that the average attention span has declined from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds today, a change researchers attribute to digital media habits.'

Answer

Choice B provides specific data (declining attention span) and directly attributes the decline to digital media habits — directly supporting the claim about technology's effect on attention.

Question 2

A writer argues: 'The town council's decision to ban plastic bags was largely symbolic with minimal environmental impact.' Which piece of evidence would most undermine this argument?

Accepted Answer

'Within one year of the ban, plastic bag waste in the local river decreased by 72 percent.'

Answer

A 72% decrease in plastic bag waste in the local river directly contradicts the claim that the ban had minimal environmental impact.

Question 3

Read this passage: 'Urban green spaces — parks, gardens, and tree-lined streets — have been shown to lower stress hormone levels in nearby residents. One study found that people living within 300 meters of a park had cortisol levels 12% lower than those without nearby green space.' A student wants to support the claim that green spaces improve mental health. Which sentence from the passage provides the strongest textual evidence?

Accepted Answer

'have been shown to lower stress hormone levels in nearby residents'

Answer

The claim that green spaces 'lower stress hormone levels' directly connects the topic (green spaces) to mental health improvement (reduced stress hormones).

Question 4

A student is writing about how automation threatens manufacturing jobs. Which sentence would provide the best textual evidence for this argument?

Accepted Answer

'The manufacturing sector employed 19.6 million Americans in 1979, compared to 12.8 million today, with economists citing automation as a primary driver of the decline.'

Answer

Specific employment figures showing a 6.8 million drop attributed to automation directly support the argument that automation threatens manufacturing jobs.

Question 5

A passage states: 'The gold rush transformed California in ways that were both spectacular and devastating. The population exploded from 14,000 in 1848 to 250,000 by 1852. Simultaneously, hydraulic mining destroyed thousands of acres of farmland and deposited sediment that clogged rivers for decades.' A student claims: 'The gold rush had significant negative environmental consequences.' Which sentence from the passage best supports this claim?

Accepted Answer

'Simultaneously, hydraulic mining destroyed thousands of acres of farmland and deposited sediment that clogged rivers for decades.'

Answer

The sentence describing destroyed farmland and clogged rivers directly provides textual evidence of specific negative environmental consequences.

Bluebook SAT Practice Test

Bluebook SAT Practice Test

Bluebook SAT Test Command of Evidence Textual 1