Tips: Listen for the part where the speaker gives a personal opinion, and note each thing the speaker wants to combine.

Why the other options are wrong:

• Healthcare support, government funding, and outside political direction.: Healthcare and funding are right. But the speaker wants respect for local voices, not direction from outside politicians.
• Personal responsibility, community resilience, and local influence.: Personal responsibility and resilience come from some residents. The speaker's own list starts with healthcare and funding.
• Personal responsibility, community resilience, and outside political direction.: Personal responsibility belongs to some residents, not the speaker. Those residents also criticise outside politicians rather than asking them to lead.

Correct Answer: pushed communities to work together in new ways.

Why this is correct: The speaker says some local leaders see a good side to the crisis. In their view, it pushed communities to work together in new ways.

Tips: Several groups are described. Before you choose, check which group each idea belongs to.

Why the other options are wrong:

• made communities depend on provincial health authorities.: Some Alberta towns did partner with provincial health authorities. But a partnership is working together, not depending on them.
• exposed long-standing gaps in rural health services.: This is the view of local officials and healthcare workers. It is not what the local leaders in the third view believe.
• been oversimplified by outside media and politicians.: Some residents say outside media and politicians oversimplify the problem. The local leaders talk about communities working together instead.

Correct Answer: rural areas are taking up a larger part of emergency work.

Why this is correct: The agency's figures show deaths fell across the country in 2024. But rural areas now account for a growing share of emergency responses.

Tips: When a speaker gives figures, ask yourself what point the figures are used to prove.

Why the other options are wrong:

• the crisis is now easing in rural areas as well as nationally.: Deaths fell nationally, but the figures do not say rural areas are easing. Rural areas now take a growing share of emergency responses.
• small towns can respond quickly because their leaders are close by.: This idea comes from a sociologist, Dr. Pelletier. It is not what the health agency's figures show.
• many small towns have only one clinic for the whole community.: The speaker does say some towns have only one clinic. But that is a general description, not part of the agency's figures.

Correct Answer: Worried, because it may keep tourists away.

Why this is correct: The speaker says small business owners worry about the constant negative headlines. They think these headlines discourage tourism and investment.

Tips: Listen for the verb the speaker uses to describe how this group feels, and for the reason they give.

Why the other options are wrong:

• Hopeful, because it may attract new investment.: Investment is mentioned, but the owners think the headlines discourage it. They are not hopeful about the coverage.
• Relaxed, because most days in town are quiet.: A shop owner does say most days are quiet. The owner says it to complain that outsiders believe crime is out of control.
• Hopeful, because it may bring treatment programmes.: A nurse near Thunder Bay talks about the lack of treatment programmes. The business owners do not say this.

Correct Answer: how outside beliefs about a town can differ from daily life there.

Why this is correct: A shop owner in Nova Scotia says people assume crime is out of control. In fact, most days in the town are quiet.

Tips: Several examples come from different places. Link each place to its story, then ask what that story proves.

Why the other options are wrong:

• how training can prepare residents to respond to overdoses.: Naloxone training is part of the Alberta example. The Nova Scotia conversation is not about training.
• how distance from treatment leads patients to keep returning.: This comes from a nurse in a town outside Thunder Bay, in Ontario. It is not the Nova Scotia example.
• how daily life in a town can match what outsiders believe about it.: The owner says the opposite. Outsiders think crime is out of control, but most days in the town are quiet.

Correct Answer: response faster and the harm stronger.

Why this is correct: Early on, the speaker says closeness can intensify both the harm and the response. Dr. Pelletier adds that small communities adapt quickly when decision-makers are close to people.

Tips: Two different parts of the report say what closeness does. Combine them before you choose.

Why the other options are wrong:

• response faster but the harm smaller.: The faster response is right. But the report says closeness makes the harm stronger, not smaller.
• harm stronger but the response slower.: The stronger harm is right. But Dr. Pelletier says closeness helps small communities adapt quickly, not slowly.
• harm smaller and the response slower.: Both parts are reversed. The report says closeness makes the harm stronger and the response quicker.