Question

average annual precipitation and internal freshwater resources for five countries

country canada sierra leone brazil india australia
average annual precipitation (mm) 537 2,526 1,761 1,083 534
renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (m³) 75,795 19,884 26,730 1,045 19,416

a team of geographers and hydrologists compared the average annual precipitation and internal freshwater resources per capita for five countries located on different continents. they found that, although precipitation is an important factor in determining freshwater availability, it is not the only one. other factors, such as population size, distribution, and density, as well as water management, infrastructure, and consumption, also affect how much freshwater is accessible and usable for human needs. thus, they argue that two countries with similar precipitation levels can have very different freshwater availability situations.

which choice best describes data from the table that support the geographers’ and hydrologists’ argument?

choose 1 answer:

a canada and australia have similar precipitation levels but very different amounts of freshwater resources per capita.
b sierra leone and brazil have similar precipitation levels and similar amounts of freshwater resources per capita.
c brazil has the second highest precipitation level and the second highest amount of freshwater resources per capita.
d sierra leone and australia have very similar amounts of freshwater resources per capita but very different precipitation levels.

Explanation:

The argument is that similar precipitation can lead to different freshwater availability. Option A: Canada (537 mm) and Australia (534 mm) have similar precipitation but Canada's freshwater per capita (75,795 m³) is much higher than Australia's (19,416 m³), supporting the argument. Option B shows similarity, not difference. Option C shows a correlation, not a contrast. Option D focuses on similar freshwater with different precipitation, not the argument's focus.

Answer:

A. Canada and Australia have similar precipitation levels but very different amounts of freshwater resources per capita.