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Question

Difficulty: HardCommand of Evidence: Textual

Traditional Japanese *machiya* (wooden townhouses) are characterized by their narrow street facades and deep interior layouts. To address the challenge of stagnant air and heat during humid summers, these structures historically incorporated *tsuboniwa*—small, open-air courtyards situated deep within the building. Climatologist Dr. Kenji Sato hypothesized that the primary function of the *tsuboniwa* is to act as a passive cooling system. According to Sato, the temperature differential between the shaded, vegetation-filled courtyard and the warmer, street-facing rooms generates a convective air current that draws cooler air from the courtyard through the house's interior. Which choice, if true, would most directly support Sato's hypothesis?

  1. A
    Traditional *machiya* that feature *tsuboniwa* are significantly more effective at capturing and retaining rainwater for household use than are *machiya* without courtyards.
  2. B
    Modern urban designers who incorporate *tsuboniwa*-style courtyards into contemporary apartment buildings will likely see a substantial reduction in the energy required to cool those buildings during the summer.
  3. Sensors placed inside several unoccupied *machiya* recorded that the velocity of air flowing from the *tsuboniwa* into the adjacent rooms increased in direct proportion to the temperature difference between the courtyard and the street-facing rooms.Answer
  4. D
    In a survey of historical documents, residents of *machiya* frequently noted that they spent more time in the rooms closest to the *tsuboniwa* during the winter months because those areas were shielded from cold street winds.

Answer

The finding that the velocity of air flowing from the courtyard into the adjacent rooms increases in direct proportion to the temperature difference between the courtyard and the street-facing rooms.
The correct answer supports the hypothesis by providing direct empirical evidence of the convective cycle. Dr. Sato's hypothesis states that the temperature difference between the cool courtyard and the warmer street-facing rooms drives a continuous airflow. By showing that the velocity of this airflow increases in direct proportion to the temperature difference between these two zones, the study establishes a direct causal link between the temperature differential and the resulting passive cooling draft.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core hypothesis proposed by the researcher in the passage.
Dr. Sato hypothesizes that *tsuboniwa* act as passive cooling systems by using the temperature difference between the cool courtyard and the warmer street-facing rooms to drive a convective current.
Establishing the precise mechanism of the claim is necessary to determine what evidence would support it.
2
Determine the type of evidence required to support this specific convective mechanism.
The supporting evidence must demonstrate a direct relationship between the temperature difference (the cause) and the airflow/cooling velocity (the effect).
This allows us to evaluate the choices against the required logical relationship.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one showing this direct relationship while rejecting distractors that address unrelated benefits, speculative future applications, or seasonal misreadings.
The finding regarding the proportional increase in airflow velocity based on the temperature difference directly validates the convective cooling hypothesis.
This step selects the correct option that matches the required logical support.

Key Concept

Command of Evidence: Textual
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Command of Evidence: Textual

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