Command of Evidence: Quantitative

SAT Reading and Writing· difficulty 3/5

A historian compiled the average daily wage (in 1900 dollars) for unskilled laborers in four U.S. industries in 1900: textiles, 1.20;coalmining,1.20; coal mining,1.85; steel, 2.10;railroads,2.10; railroads,1.95. The historian concluded that despite popular belief in a uniform "industrial wage," workers' pay varied substantially across sectors. To support this conclusion, the historian could cite ______

Which choice most logically completes the text using the data above?

  • A

    the gap of $0.90 between the lowest (textiles) and highest (steel) industries.

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  • B

    the textile wage of $1.20.

  • C

    the steel wage of $2.10.

  • D

    the similarity between coal mining and railroad wages.

Explanation

The claim is about pay variation across sectors. Choice C quantifies that variation directly. Single values (A, B) don't show variation, and choice D actually undermines the claim by emphasizing similarity.

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