The 1936 North American heat wave remains one of the hottest and most

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Overview:

Questions refer to the passage that discusses the history of the North American heat wave in 1936, a climate phenomenon that caused massive problems for most of North America, including crop shortages and even several thousand deaths. Question then asks the student to locate the answer choice that cannot be inferred. This means, of course, that four of the answer choices are implied from the details in the passage, but one of them is not.

The Correct Answer:

B Answer choice (B) is the only answer choice that cannot be inferred from information in the passage. The author of the passage makes no comment on the tradition of hot summers following cold winters, and there is definitely no mention of the winter of 1936 and the temperatures that were recorded during that season. Answer choice (B), therefore, is correct.

The Incorrect Answers:

A The passage notes that the heat wave of 1936 “remains one of the hottest and most destructive on record.” From this, it may be assumed that the temperatures noted during the heat wave remain some of the highest of record. Answer choice (A) may certainly be inferred, so it cannot be correct.

C The author of the passage claims that the heat wave of 1936 lasted “only through the summer,” so it may be assumed that the heat was no longer a problem by October (i.e., the fall) of 1936. The passage supports the information in answer choice (C), so it cannot be correct.

D The author of the passages states that the heat “stripped the soil of all nutrients” and that the “upper layers of the soil quite literally blew away.” From this, the reader may assume that the heat and reduced nutrient quality of the soil made it vulnerable to the wind, so answer choice (D) may be inferred from the passage and is therefore not correct.

E The passage claims that the heat wave “caused problems for the most vulnerable members of society.” The most vulnerable members of society include the very old and the very young, so it is safe to assume that these demographics may be included among those who suffered most from the heat. As a result, the passage implies answer choice (E), so it is incorrect.