winter hats\nnumber of winter hats\nhow many readers have fewer than 4 hats?\nreaders

Explanation:

Step1: Count for 0 hats

There are 2 'x's at 0, so 2 readers have 0 hats.

Step2: Count for 1 hat

There is 1 'x' at 1, so 1 reader has 1 hat.

Step3: Count for 2 hats

There are 4 'x's at 2, so 4 readers have 2 hats.

Step4: Sum up

Add the counts: $2 + 1+4=7$.

Answer:

7