Command of Evidence: true is not the same as supporting
You check each choice against the passage, confirm it appears there, and pick it. All four appeared there.
Why it happens
Verifying a statement against the text is a satisfying, concrete act, and it feels like the work the question asked for. But the question asked which finding supports a particular hypothesis — a relationship between two things, only one of which is in the choice.
See the trap
"Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the researcher's hypothesis that the nesting sites were abandoned because of noise?"
✗ The trap: "The sites were abandoned in 2019." — true, and consistent with every competing explanation.
✓ The fix: "Abandonment occurred only at sites within 200 m of the new runway." — this one distinguishes noise from the alternatives.
How to actually fix it
- State the claim in your own words before reading the choices.
- For each choice, ask: if this were false, would the claim be weaker?
- Prefer the choice that rules out a competing explanation, not the one that merely restates the setting.
Made this mistake on a real question?
Practice Information and Ideas questions here. Miss one and it is logged with the exact error, then brought back until you beat it.
Practice Information and Ideas →FAQ
What does 'if true' mean in the stem?
It tells you not to check the choice against the passage at all — assume it is true and judge only whether it strengthens the claim. That instruction exists because checking is the trap.
How do I stop repeating this mistake?
Reading the explanation isn't enough — your brain needs to beat the trap on a fresh question. Practice the skill in the kaoshen.co question bank: miss one and it is logged with the exact error, then brought back to you three days later and again after fourteen.