Millions of Metric Tons of Copper Mined in 1995 and 2020 Country 1995 2020 Canada 0.73 0.59 Indonesia 0.44 0.51...

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Millions of Metric Tons of Copper Mined in 1995 and 2020

Country	1995	2020
Canada	0.73	0.59
Indonesia	0.44	0.51
Kazakhstan	0.26	0.55
Chile	2.49	5.73

While doing research for a paper about copper mining, a student finds a table with information about four different countries. The student notes that the country that mined 0.55 million metric tons of copper in 2020 had mined ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

\(0.59\) million metric tons of copper in 1995.

\(0.44\) million metric tons of copper in 1995.

\(0.26\) million metric tons of copper in 1995.

\(2.49\) million metric tons of copper in 1995.

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Data Analysis Table

Content from Table	Analysis
Title: "Millions of Metric Tons of Copper Mined in 1995 and 2020"	What it says: Data compares Cu mining: 4 countries, 2 time points What it does: Establishes scope of comparison What it is: Data context
Canada: 1995: \(\mathrm{0.73}\), 2020: \(\mathrm{0.59}\)	What it says: Canada: \(\mathrm{0.73}\) to \(\mathrm{0.59}\) (declined) What it does: Shows Canada's mining decreased over time What it is: Country-specific data
Indonesia: 1995: \(\mathrm{0.44}\), 2020: \(\mathrm{0.51}\)	What it says: Indonesia: \(\mathrm{0.44}\) to \(\mathrm{0.51}\) (slight increase) What it does: Shows Indonesia's modest growth What it is: Country-specific data
Kazakhstan: 1995: \(\mathrm{0.26}\), 2020: \(\mathrm{0.55}\)	What it says: Kazakhstan: \(\mathrm{0.26}\) to \(\mathrm{0.55}\) (major increase) What it does: Shows Kazakhstan's significant growth What it is: Country-specific data
Chile: 1995: \(\mathrm{2.49}\), 2020: \(\mathrm{5.73}\)	What it says: Chile: \(\mathrm{2.49}\) to \(\mathrm{5.73}\) (massive increase) What it does: Shows Chile as dominant producer with huge growth What it is: Country-specific data

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.

Step 3: Prethink the Answer

Looking at our table analysis, I need to identify which country mined exactly \(\mathrm{0.55}\) million metric tons in 2020
From my notes, that's Kazakhstan (\(\mathrm{0.26}\) to \(\mathrm{0.55}\))
Once I've identified Kazakhstan as the country, I need to find what Kazakhstan mined in 1995, which was \(\mathrm{0.26}\) million metric tons

Answer Choices Explained

\(0.59\) million metric tons of copper in 1995.

✗ Incorrect

This is Canada's 2020 value, not any country's 1995 value
Doesn't match our target country (Kazakhstan)
What trap this represents: Students might confuse row and column data, picking a 2020 value instead of a 1995 value

\(0.44\) million metric tons of copper in 1995.

✗ Incorrect

This is Indonesia's 1995 value
Wrong country - Indonesia mined 0.51 in 2020, not 0.55
What trap this represents: Students might identify the wrong country as mining 0.55 in 2020, then correctly find that wrong country's 1995 value

\(0.26\) million metric tons of copper in 1995.

✓ Correct

Kazakhstan mined 0.55 million metric tons in 2020
Kazakhstan mined 0.26 million metric tons in 1995
Perfectly completes the logical connection in the statement

\(2.49\) million metric tons of copper in 1995.

✗ Incorrect

This is Chile's 1995 value
Wrong country - Chile mined 5.73 in 2020, not 0.55
What trap this represents: Students might be drawn to the largest 1995 value without properly identifying which country mined 0.55 in 2020

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