Strengthen Questions
Introduction
Strengthen questions in SAT Reading/Writing call upon you to identify a writer’s primary thesis or hypothesis and accompanying supporting evidence, then choose the answer that provides the most relevant additional evidence either in support of or opposed to that thesis.
Approach Question
Upon reading about Genghis Khan (known as Temujin as a child), a student makes the claim that the Mongol emperor would never have risen to power without the support of his mother, Hoelun. When Temujin was about nine, his father, Yesugei, was poisoned by Tatars, and the family’s own kinsmen moved on without them, leaving Hoelun alone with her young children on the steppe. Hoelun kept the children alive by gathering wild fruit and digging roots, and she taught her sons that they had to stand together against their enemies.
Which piece of cultural information, if true, would most directly support the student’s claim?
A. In Mongol culture at the time of Temujin’s birth, the destiny of a potential ruler was determined primarily by the identity of his father.
B. On the steppe at that time, a family abandoned by its kinsmen rarely survived for long unless one adult could find enough food for everyone.
C. During the era when Temujin became Genghis Khan, the best way for an aspiring ruler to secure his rise to the throne was with the help of his wife’s family.
D. Rival tribes on the steppe at that time often settled their disputes by poisoning enemy leaders at shared meals.
Explanation
With Strengthen questions we apply the QUICKER method by first clearly summarizing the view to be strengthened. The word “claim” in the first sentence identifies the thesis statement made by the student: Temujin’s mother was crucial in his becoming Genghis Khan. (Note that paraphrasing–using different words to express the same idea–can help ensure that we have understood the main claim.)
Next, we read the context of the claim–in this case, the evidence put forward in support of the student’s thesis statement. It’s important to summarize the evidence given, which is, in this case, twofold: after the family was abandoned, Hoelun 1) kept her children alive by finding them food; and 2) taught her sons to stand together. Either (or both) of these pieces of evidence may be relevant to the answer.
As we seek to knock out wrong answers and examine our leading candidate for the answer, we pay special attention to relevance. Answer (A) works against the claim, because it gives the credit to the father, who died when Temujin was a boy. Choice (C) brings in the help of a wife’s family, but the passage says nothing about Temujin’s marriage, and in any case that help would come from his wife’s relatives, not his mother. Choice (D) makes indirect reference to the poisoning of Temujin’s father, but how rival tribes settled their disputes has no bearing on what Hoelun did for her son.
With choice B the only one left, we examine it more closely. At first it may seem to be about survival rather than power. But a boy who does not survive cannot rise to power at all. If an abandoned family rarely survived without one adult who could feed everyone, then Hoelun’s gathering and digging is what kept Temujin alive long enough to become Genghis Khan. That makes her support a condition of his rise, which is exactly what the student claims. The answer is B.
Strengthen Questions: Strategy
- We read the passage not to draw our own conclusions but rather to support someone else’s.
- Strengthen questions always include someone’s opinion (in the form of a theory, hypothesis, or general statement based on evidence).
- Understanding relevance is crucial. What details are relevant to the claim being made and which ones are not?
- In addition to irrelevant answers, we seek to knock out answers that are too weak or mild to support the conclusion.
- Stronger answers are better! All other things being equal, prefer “always” to “sometimes” and “must” to “may.”
Topics for Cross-Reference
- Cross-Text Connections
- Illustration Questions
Variations
Weaken questions are far less frequent, as a general rule, than Strengthen questions, but they can be thought of as a variation in the context of this lesson. (The task is simply the opposite of the task for Strengthen: to make the claim less likely to be true rather than more likely.) The practice questions will focus primarily on Strengthen and secondarily on Weaken questions.
Review
Answer this: what does the letter R in the QUICKER method stand for?
REVIEW your answer in the original context to make sure it fits.
Sample Questions
Difficulty 1
Sleep quality is known to impact cognitive performance. A recent longitudinal study discovered that students who followed a consistent sleep schedule performed better on cognitive tests than those with irregular sleep patterns. Researchers concluded that maintaining a regular sleep schedule is essential for optimal cognitive functioning.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the researchers’ hypothesis?
A. Students who sleep for at least eight hours per night have better cognitive performance than those who sleep less.
B. Individuals with consistent sleep schedules show improved memory recall, regardless of total sleep duration.
C. Cognitive performance declines in students who experience frequent interruptions during sleep.
D. Regular exercise is linked to better sleep quality and improved cognitive performance.
The answer is B. To support a hypothesis, we must be clear on the details of the hypothesis. To avoid a trap answer here, note that the hypothesis concerns a regular sleep schedule, not a certain amount of sleep. This helps us eliminate choice A, which concerns the amount of sleep rather than focusing on regularity of sleep schedule. Choice C might also seem tempting, but the hypothesis is not about sleep without interruptions; it’s about a regular sleep schedule. And choice D is the least relevant; the passage says nothing about exercise. Always stick as closely to the details of the passage as possible!
Difficulty 2
Ocean currents play a vital role in regulating global climate by distributing heat around the planet. A recent study found that disruptions in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could lead to significant climate changes in Europe and North America. This prompted researchers to hypothesize that the stability of AMOC is crucial for maintaining current climate patterns.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the researchers’ hypothesis?
A. Regions affected by AMOC disruptions experience more severe weather events than do other regions.
B. Changes in AMOC flow patterns are linked to historical climate shifts in Europe and North America.
C. Marine ecosystems show signs of stress when AMOC currents slow down.
D. Other ocean currents also influence climate patterns in Europe and North America.
The answer is B. The researchers propose a direct connection between the AMOC and climate patterns: if the AMOC is stable, climate patterns will be also (and, accordingly, if the first is unstable, the second will suffer from instability). We can dispense with choice C since it talks about marine ecosystems rather than climate patterns. And choice D focuses on “other ocean currents”; although this could possibly be relevant if those currents could be shown to be similar to the AMOC, we have no such information here.
Much better to choose an answer that mentions the AMOC directly and connects it to climate. Although answer choice A might be tempting, “severe weather events” are not the same thing as stability of climate in general. You don’t have to be an expert in meteorology, just a careful reader: answer B connects the AMOC to climate on a historical basis, showing that instability in the former leads to instability in the latter. That is the connection we’re looking for.
Difficulty 3
Urban green spaces have been linked to numerous health benefits, including reduced stress and improved mental well-being. A 2024 study found that people living within a half-mile of a park had significantly lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, compared to those living farther away. Researchers propose that proximity to green spaces is a key factor in reducing stress and promoting mental health.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the researchers’ hypothesis?
A. People who visit parks regularly report higher overall life satisfaction than those who do not.
B. Residents in urban areas with abundant green spaces have lower incidences of heart disease than those who live in rural areas.
C. Individuals who live close to green spaces engage in physical activity more frequently than those who do not.
D. Stress levels are lower in people who live close to parks, regardless of whether they visit them regularly.
The answer is D. The details of the researchers’ proposal are crucial. First, it requires proximity to green spaces; this eliminated choice A because it doesn’t discuss how close they live, but only how frequently they visit. Second, it focuses on mental health; this takes care of choice B, which talks about a physical condition (heart disease). (Note that choice B also technically doesn’t cover living close to green spaces.) But we can also dispose of choice C on the basis of physical versus mental health; although it’s reasonable to think that physical activity contributes to mental health, the connection is not made in the passage, and that means everything.
Only choice D, by mentioning “stress levels,” a concept mentioned in the passage’s thesis, addresses mental health, and this choice also touches directly on living close to a park.
Difficulty 4
Bees play a crucial role in pollinating crops, but their populations are declining due to pesticide use, habitat loss, and disease. A recent study showed that planting wildflower strips alongside agricultural fields increased bee populations and improved crop yields. This led scientists to suggest that enhancing floral diversity near farms can support bee health and reproduction.
Which finding, if true, would most seriously undermine the researchers’ hypothesis?
A. The wildflower strips used in the study featured only one variety of wildflower.
B. Farmers who use wildflower strips report an increase in the need for chemical pesticides.
C. Crop yields increase significantly when wildflower strips are planted, regardless of bee population changes.
D. Bee populations have decreased in a few areas where wildflower strips have been planted.
The answer is A. To answer this Weaken question, note a crucial difference between the evidence (second-to-last sentence) and the scientists’ conclusion (last sentence). Though the evidence mentions both bee populations and crop yields, the conclusion focuses only on bee health and reproduction. This means that a choice like C is irrelevant, no matter what it says about crop yields, because it sets aside the concern about bee populations with the word “regardless”. Similarly, choice B is irrelevant, as it concerns the use of pesticides; note that although pesticides might be bad for bees, we do not know this for sure, and the passage does not make that connection.
Choice D appears relevant, as it concerns both wildflower strips and bee populations, but it is not a very powerful weakener since it pertains to only “a few” of the wildflower strips. It could still be true that most wildflower strips positively affect bee population health. Meanwhile, answer A commends itself because the conclusion specifically mentions the “diversity” of wildflowers. If the evidence used to support the hypothesis only concerns one variety of wildflower, that tells us little to nothing about how wildflower diversity affects bee populations.
Difficulty 5
Although many coral reefs are threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing, some reefs show remarkable resilience. Researchers have identified a specific species of algae that forms a symbiotic relationship with certain coral species, enhancing their ability to withstand warmer temperatures. In 2023, a study revealed that coral reefs harboring this algae species experienced significantly less bleaching compared to those without it. This discovery led scientists to hypothesize that the presence of this algae is crucial for coral survival in changing climate conditions.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the researchers’ hypothesis?
A. The algae species identified in the study is also found in coral reefs located in the coldest regions of the world.
B. Studies of those coral reefs with the lowest degree of bleaching have demonstrated considerable resilience among such reefs.
C. Coral reefs without the specific algae species experienced greater levels of bleaching during periods of normal temperature.
D. The symbiotic relationship between the algae and the coral is beneficial to the algae in a number of ways.
The answer is B. This argument is more complex than some in that supporting the hypothesis involves making a connection not explicitly made in the passage. Notice that the piece of evidence refers to “bleaching”, but the passage never establishes a connection between bleaching and the health of coral reefs. Is bleaching good or bad for reefs? It might sound bad, but we don’t know for sure until we have a clear connection.
Answer B supplies that connection by connecting less bleaching to more resilience among reefs. This detail makes it more likely that, if the algae prevents bleaching among coral reefs, then it also assists their survival.
Choice A adds a detail about where else the algae species is found but gives us no information about how it helps the coral. Choice C might seem promising in that it strengthens the connection between the presence of the algae and the absence of bleaching, but remember: the connection needed is between bleaching and the health of the coral. Choice C doesn’t give us this. And Choice D resurfaces the symbiotic relationship mentioned in the page but focuses on its benefits for the algae, not the coral; that’s not the right focus.