Tips: Listen for the speaker's personal view. Keep it apart from the points made by other groups in the report.

Why the other options are wrong:

• only after summer programmes have been improved.: Most people in the parent survey preferred better summer programmes. The speaker never says this must happen before a test.
• while still keeping a long break for family visits.: Some parents worry about losing long family visits. The speaker respects traditions but does not make a long break a condition.
• while still protecting summer jobs for teenagers.: Summer jobs for teenagers are a point raised by critics. The speaker does not link the tests to summer jobs.

Correct Answer: help schools make better use of their buildings.

Why this is correct: Some Alberta school boards tried modified calendars. Their administrators say the buildings were used more efficiently instead of sitting empty.

Tips: When a place or group is mentioned, ask yourself which point the speaker uses it to support.

Why the other options are wrong:

• help students keep more of their reading progress.: Reading progress comes from the Ontario report, not from Alberta. Alberta is used for a practical point about buildings.
• help families with fewer resources get a fair chance.: Fairness for families with fewer resources is a separate argument about camps and tutoring. It is not linked to Alberta.
• help teachers avoid burnout by adjusting workloads.: Teachers' groups warn that burnout could increase. Nobody says the new calendar would help teachers avoid burnout.

Correct Answer: spreading out holidays could reduce learning loss over the summer.

Why this is correct: Dr. Patel suggests that spreading holidays through the year could reduce the summer slide. That means less learning lost over the summer.

Tips: Link each named person to the exact idea the report gives them.

Why the other options are wrong:

• spreading out holidays could make childcare easier to arrange.: Easier childcare is what the speaker's neighbour says. Dr. Patel talks about learning, not childcare.
• spreading out holidays could give poorer families a fairer start.: A fairer start for poorer families is the supporters' fairness argument. It is not given to Dr. Patel.
• spreading out holidays could keep school buildings busy for longer.: Busier school buildings are what administrators in Alberta noticed. Dr. Patel does not talk about buildings.

Correct Answer: Open to it, but not yet sure it is needed everywhere.

Why this is correct: The speaker sees merit in both sides and believes pilot programmes could help. But the speaker is not convinced it is essential everywhere.

Tips: Listen to how strongly the speaker states a personal opinion, and which way it leans.

Why the other options are wrong:

• Excited about it, and sure it is needed in every province.: The speaker is open to the idea but not convinced it is essential everywhere. So this is much too strong.
• Open to it, but leaning towards better summer programmes.: Better summer programmes are what most survey respondents preferred. The speaker does not say they would be better.
• Doubtful about it, and unsure that trials would help.: The speaker believes pilot programmes could help us make decisions. So the speaker is not doubtful about trials.

Correct Answer: They tend to lose less reading progress over the summer than younger pupils.

Why this is correct: The report says the loss happens particularly in younger grades. So older students usually lose less than younger ones.

Tips: Small describing words can tell you about a group that the speaker does not mention directly.

Why the other options are wrong:

• They tend to lose more reading progress over the summer than younger pupils.: The loss is greatest in younger grades. So older students lose less, not more.
• They tend to lose about two months of reading progress over the summer.: Two months is the length of the summer break, not the reading loss. The report says up to a month.
• They tend to lose as much reading progress over the summer as younger pupils.: The report singles out younger grades. So the loss is not the same for everyone.

Correct Answer: As outdated, since shorter breaks would ease childcare.

Why this is correct: The neighbour works full-time and says shorter breaks would make childcare easier. For families like hers, the system feels outdated.

Tips: Keep each family or group in the report apart. Each one has its own reason.

Why the other options are wrong:

• As unfair, since they cannot pay for camps or tutoring.: Paying for camps and tutoring is a problem for families with fewer resources in general. It is not the neighbour's reason.
• As valuable, since long breaks allow visits to relatives.: Long visits to relatives are what some worried parents want to keep. The neighbour wants shorter breaks.
• As wasteful, since school buildings sit empty for weeks.: Empty buildings are a point made about schools in Alberta. The neighbour talks about childcare.