Question

In the summer of 2009, a harsh drought hit central and southern Texas. Texas is the second biggest state with a 1,200-mile border with Mexico. Farmers along the southern border watched their crops wither and die. Only a few hundred miles away, the northeast quarter of the state was getting plenty of rainfall. Swimmers in South Texas, however, were being turned away from local lakes and neighborhood pools. They were being told that the dwindling water supply was for drinking, not for playing in. Floating on inner tubes down Texas rivers used to be a favorite summer pastime. Renting inner-tubes was once a strong summer business. Most rivers hardly had enough flow to keep a person afloat in 2009. In San Antonio, strict water usage rules were put into effect, and citizens were encouraged to call the police if they saw neighbors watering their lawns. One town held a prayer service, and their prayers were answered with 0.03 inches of rain. In June and July that year, Austin hit 100 degrees for 39 days. Inside the state capital in Austin, air conditioning kept things cool. Of Texas’ 254 counties, 77 of them were said to be in “exceptional” drought conditions, the worst category on the drought scale. The part of the state with the worst drought was bigger than Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut combined. The cattle business was especially hard hit with losses of more than $4 billion. Many rural Texans eat a lot of beef. One conservationist pointed to a silver lining that resulted from all the water restrictions and conservation measures: it made Texans pay more attention to how they use water. Many people changed their habits, and using less water became a way of life for many people in south-central Texas.
7
Which of these sentences most strongly supports the main idea of this passage?
A.
"Swimmers in South Texas, however, were being turned away from local lakes and neighborhood pools."
B.
"Many rural Texans eat a lot of beef."
C.
"Only a few hundred miles away, the northeast quarter of the state was getting plenty of rainfall."
D.
"Texas is the second biggest state with a 1,200-mile border with Mexico."

Answer 1

The sentence that most strongly supports the main idea of the passage, which discusses the impact of the drought in Texas and the resulting water restrictions, is:

A. "Swimmers in South Texas, however, were being turned away from local lakes and neighborhood pools."

This sentence highlights the tangible effects of the drought on recreation and water usage in South Texas, underscoring the severity of the water crisis described in the passage.