Earth and Space Sciences Regents, June 2025, question 23
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What the figure shows
The passage says an advancing salt front can harm drinking water for towns such as Poughkeepsie that take fresh water from the Hudson River. Two environmental groups have a $400,000 plan to monitor and evaluate the salt front over the next 35 years. The plan has two parts: $250,000 to predict the salt front location from 2025 to 2075 using stream and river flow data, and $150,000 to develop an action plan to keep drinking water safe at several water treatment plants.
How to think about it
Match each part of a statement against the plan in the passage: who spends the money, how much, over how many years, and on what. A statement is correct only if every part agrees with the passage.
Based on evidence in the plan developed by the environmental groups, which explanation correctly describes how the availability of fresh water will influence communities along the Hudson River?
Choice 3 is right. The plan is for communities that take drinking water from the river. Its total is $400,000, and its two parts are monitoring and predicting the salt front ($250,000) and an action plan to keep water safe at treatment plants ($150,000). The choice describes both parts with the correct total.
The passage is about an advancing salt front, which means salinity rising, not falling. It also says nothing about finding other water sources. This choice reverses the direction of change.
The $400,000 total is correct, but the budget covers 35 years, not 50. The 50 years come from the 2025 to 2075 prediction period, and this choice also leaves out the action plan for treatment plants.
The $150,000 part pays for the action plan to keep water safe. Predicting the salt front is the $250,000 part. This choice swaps the two budget items.
