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**A 2020 study found that, on average, urban areas in temperate climates show 1.5°C higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas. This is largely due to dark surfaces (asphalt, building rooftops) absorbing heat during the day.** Which inference is BEST supported by the text?

ARural areas are always cooler than urban areas
BUrban temperatures are unrelated to surface colors
CDark surfaces in urban environments contribute to higher local temperatures — a phenomenon known as the urban heat-island effect
DCities have less rainfall than rural areas
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Dark surfaces in urban environments contribute to higher local temperatures — a phenomenon known as the urban heat-island effect
The passage attributes the 1.5°C urban-rural temperature difference largely to dark heat-absorbing surfaces. Option B captures this causal link. Option A is too absolute (the data is an average, not universal). Options C and D contradict the passage.
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