Monthly Rainfall (in inches) from January to April 2023Weather StationJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMountain Ridge Station4.23.85.14.0Valley Floor Station3...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Weather Station | January | February | March | April |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Ridge Station | 4.2 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 4.0 |
| Valley Floor Station | 3.1 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
A meteorologist is analyzing precipitation data from two weather monitoring stations. Of the four months recorded in the table, the month when both stations measured their highest combined rainfall was _______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
January was the month.
February was the month.
March was the month.
April was the month.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Monthly Rainfall (in inches) from January to April 2023" |
|
| "Mountain Ridge Station" data: 4.2, 3.8, 5.1, 4.0 |
|
| "Valley Floor Station" data: 3.1, 2.9, 4.2, 3.8 |
|
| "the month when both stations measured their highest combined rainfall" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: We need to analyze rainfall data from two weather stations to determine which month had the highest total precipitation when both stations' measurements are combined.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? We need to identify which specific month had the highest combined rainfall total when we add together the measurements from both weather stations.
What type of answer do we need? A specific month name from the four months of data provided (January through April).
Any limiting keywords? "Combined rainfall" is key - we must add both stations' measurements together for each month, not look at individual station maximums.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- We need to calculate the combined rainfall for each month by adding the two stations' measurements together
- January total: \(4.2 + 3.1 = 7.3\) inches
- February total: \(3.8 + 2.9 = 6.7\) inches
- March total: \(5.1 + 4.2 = 9.3\) inches
- April total: \(4.0 + 3.8 = 7.8\) inches
- Looking at these totals, March clearly has the highest combined rainfall at 9.3 inches
January was the month.
✗ Incorrect
- January's combined total is \(\mathrm{7.3}\) inches (\(\mathrm{4.2 + 3.1}\)), which is not the highest
February was the month.
✗ Incorrect
- February's combined total is \(\mathrm{6.7}\) inches (\(\mathrm{3.8 + 2.9}\)), actually the lowest total
March was the month.
✓ Correct
- March's combined total is \(\mathrm{9.3}\) inches (\(\mathrm{5.1 + 4.2}\)), clearly the highest total
April was the month.
✗ Incorrect
- April's combined total is \(\mathrm{7.8}\) inches (\(\mathrm{4.0 + 3.8}\)), still \(\mathrm{1.5}\) inches less than March