hard · SAT Reading & Writing

A team of geologists measured the average rate of erosion on four different slopes in a river canyon following a heavy rainy season. They predicted that slopes with higher percentages of ground cover (vegetation and rocks) would experience significantly lower erosion rates. The results are shown in the table: Slope | Ground Cover (%) | Erosion Rate (cm/year) Slope A | 10 | 14.5 Slope B | 30 | 8.2 Slope C | 55 | 3.1 Slope D | 85 | 0.4 Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement? The geologists' prediction is supported by the data because

1. The erosion rate on Slope B was more than double the erosion rate on Slope C.
2. Slope A had only 10% ground cover and the highest erosion rate recorded at 14.5 cm/year.
3. As ground cover increased from 10% in Slope A to 85% in Slope D, the erosion rate fell by 14.1 cm/year.
4. Slope D had 85% ground cover and the lowest erosion rate of 0.4 cm/year, which proves that vegetation is more effective than rocks.

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