Harbor seals rest on rocks at Ardo Point. The colony grew from 12 seals to 40 since 2019. Rangers close the beach each June. A wooden fence blocks the north path. Which sentence best supports the inference that the colony is thriving?

The Kelder Bridge lifts so tall boats can pass. A motor turns two large gears. The deck rises in ninety seconds. Traffic waits behind red gates. Which sentence best supports the inference that drivers are rarely delayed for long?

Mosses have no true roots. They soak up water through their leaves. In a Halden field test, a moss mat weighed ten times its dry weight after rain. Mosses grow on shaded walls. Which sentence best supports the inference that a moss mat holds much water?

Fairhaven's mill closed in 1908. Within a year, half the shops on Main Street stood empty. The town built a new school in 1912. A rail line reached town in 1890. Which sentence best supports the inference that the mill's closing hurt other businesses?

Riverton's new bus route began in May. The buses are painted green. Ridership rose every month through August. Fares stayed at one dollar. Which sentence best supports the inference that riders have welcomed the new route?

A vacuum flask has two glass walls. The space between them holds almost no air. Heat moves poorly through a vacuum. The outer case is plastic. Which sentence best supports the inference that the gap between the walls keeps a drink hot?

Cold air slows insects. At Barrow Farm, hive traffic was counted at dawn. On mornings below 50 degrees, few bees left the hive. The hives face south. Which sentence best supports the inference that temperature affects when Barrow Farm bees fly?

The Verdon Canal opened in 1854. Freight wagons on the old road nearly vanished within five years. The canal runs 30 miles. Locks lift boats at each end. Which sentence best supports the inference that the canal took business from road haulers?

Streetlights in Ames switch on by sensor. The sensor reads light, not time. During a storm last June, the lights came on at noon. Each pole stands 25 feet tall. Which sentence gives evidence, not a restatement, that the sensors answer to darkness?

Snow geese stop at Lake Corin each fall. Wardens banded 200 birds in 2021. Of those, 143 returned to the same marsh in 2022. The lake freezes in December. Which sentence best supports the inference that these geese return to the same stopping place?

Salt lowers the freezing point of water. Crews in Denton spread salt before every storm. Last winter they used 300 tons. Roads there froze on only two nights. Which sentence best supports the inference that Denton's salting worked?

Sea otters eat sea urchins. Urchins eat kelp. Where otters returned to Halden Bay, kelp beds doubled in four years. Otters have thick fur. A writer claims otters help kelp beds recover. Which sentence is the evidence for that claim?

The Delmar Library posts its hours online. Last winter it opened late nine times. Each late opening followed heavy snow. Staff members live in nearby towns. Which statement does the passage say explicitly?

The Ridge Trail closes after storms. Crews cleared 14 fallen limbs in March. In April they cleared two. Signs at the gate list the rules. Which idea must a reader infer rather than read directly?

Ferns at Quill Hollow grow thickest under the tallest oaks. In the open meadow, few ferns appear. Soil tests the same in both places. The hollow gets rain year-round. Which inference does the passage support?

A Millbrook report says the town pool reopened in January. Team practice times fell by six seconds on average by March. The pool has eight lanes. Fees did not change. Which statement is an inference rather than something the report states?

Ash trees along Cortland Road were tagged in 2020. By 2023, 62 of the 80 tagged trees had died. City crews planted maples in the gaps. The road runs two miles. Which conclusion does the passage best support?

The Ellery Museum began free Thursdays in 2022. Thursday attendance tripled that year. Other weekdays stayed flat. Members still pay yearly dues. Which is a text-supported inference rather than an unsupported guess?

Read this passage: "The Vane Creek gauge rose four feet on Tuesday. The town opened the flood gates that night." The passage states explicitly that the gauge rose four feet.

Read this passage: "Wind turbines at Cane Ridge turned all week. The town's power bill fell in July." The passage states explicitly that the turbines caused the lower bill.