A technology club built a small weather station to compare temperature readings around their town. They placed one sensor in a shaded park. Another went on the sunny roof of the library. A third sat near a busy intersection with lots of pavement. Over two weeks in July, the intersection sensor recorded the highest afternoon temperatures on 11 of 14 days. The club's advisor explained that dark pavement absorbs sunlight and releases heat slowly, especially after sunset. Students also noticed that the park sensor cooled faster in the evening. In their final presentation, they warned that one thermometer reading for a whole town can mislead, because local surfaces and shade can change the temperature.
Which piece of evidence from the passage best explains why pavement contributes to higher local temperatures?
- "They placed one sensor in a shaded park, one on the sunny roof of the library, and one near a busy intersection."
- "The intersection sensor recorded the highest afternoon temperatures on 11 of 14 days."
- "Dark pavement absorbs sunlight and releases heat slowly, especially after sunset." (correct answer)
- "Students also noticed that the park sensor cooled faster in the evening."
Explanation: The question asks for the evidence that best explains why pavement raises local temperatures, and Choice C gives the mechanism: dark pavement absorbs sunlight and releases the heat slowly, so it is correct. Choice A only describes where sensors were placed, Choice B shows that the pavement site was hotter without saying why, and Choice D describes the park, which supports the pattern indirectly but does not explain the pavement's role.