Field note: 'Every shell from Kestrel Cove measured under 3 centimeters. The data suggest the crabs stayed small because the water cooled. The crabs may have arrived from a deeper reef.' Which sentence is a verifiable fact?

Report on Halvers Ridge: 'Snow depth averaged 41 centimeters in March. The measurements suggest the drifts formed because wind funneled through the pass. The crews might have welcomed the extra cover.' Which sentence is speculation?

Lab write-up: 'All twelve treated seeds sprouted in six days. Our counts indicate the coating shortened sprouting. Growers may have used the coating because it was cheap.' Which sentence is a reasoned judgment based on the findings?

A passage reads: 'The culture was sealed on May 3. Technicians measured growth on May 6, and then the dish was chilled for two more days.' How is this passage organized, and which signal shows it?

A passage reads: 'The stream ran low because the snowpack melted early. As a result, the mill wheel turned slowly, and the grinding took two extra weeks.' How is this passage organized, and which signal shows it?

A study reports, 'Taken together, the transect counts indicate that the beetle spread eastward after 2019.' This sentence is best classified as which of the following?

Article: 'The pump ran for 90 minutes. Flow readings support the conclusion that the clog formed near the inlet. Perhaps the crew changed the filter that morning.' Which sentence goes beyond what the readings establish?

Log: 'The dry samples from the north slope weighed 12 grams. The totals suggest the slope lost soil after the burn. Rain may have washed the ash downhill.' Which sentence reports a measurement outright?

Bulletin: 'Only 9 nests remained on Tern Island in 2024. The counts indicate the colony shrank as fish thinned. The birds might have left because the beach grew noisy.' Which sentence is a reasoned judgment?

Manual note: 'The gear housing reached 58 degrees Celsius. Test data suggest the heat came from worn bearings. The operators may have run the motor past its rated load.' Which sentence is speculation?

In a science report, which wording most clearly signals speculation rather than a judgment drawn from data?

Survey: 'Moss covered 18 of the 40 shaded plots we surveyed. The plots suggest the moss returned because shade grew. The moss may have spread from an old log near the trail.' Which sentence ties its claim to the survey's findings?

A passage reads: 'First the technician warms the sample. Then she adds the dye, and finally she reads the color on the printed chart.' How is this passage organized, and which signal shows it?

An article explains why the dye changes color, reports the trial results, then gives this section: 'Rinse the tube. Add 5 milliliters of sample. Cap and shake for 10 seconds. Record the color after one minute.' What is that section's purpose?

A report first lists the testers' steps, then gives counts, then explains why coatings resist wear. The counts section reads: 'Coated blades dulled after 42 cuts; plain blades after 27.' The author's purpose in that section is mainly to do what?

A page describes a wind-gauge procedure, reports one experiment's outcome, then adds: 'Warm air rises off the pavement. Cooler air slides in beneath it, and that exchange keeps a breeze moving along the street.' What is that paragraph's purpose?

An article's first paragraph explains that a 'solute' is any substance dissolved in a liquid. The next three paragraphs describe tests on salt water. What does the first paragraph contribute to the article as a whole?

A report ends: 'These samples came from one pond in a single summer, so the pattern may not hold at other sites.' What does this closing sentence contribute to the report as a whole?

A passage reads: 'Unlike copper wire, which carries current as moving electrons, a fiber line carries pulses of light. Copper warms as it works; fiber does not.' How is this passage organized, and which signal shows it?

An article names three tide pools it studied, then a middle section gives each pool's water temperature, and the last section interprets those numbers. What does the middle section contribute to the article as a whole?