Passage Reference: Because of the doctor shortage in Gladstone, Peter and I have been working really long hours at the clinic lately.

Tips: Infer a job from both the workplace and the special skills a person mentions.

Why the other options are wrong:

• a volunteer: a volunteer describes James's role in the clean-up group, not Arlene's paid work at the clinic.
• a relief worker: a relief worker is not Arlene's occupation, even though she is helping to gather supplies for victims.
• a government officer: a government officer would fit the mayor or another public official, but Arlene works long hours in health care.

Correct Answer: getting help from her community

Passage Reference: With the help of our neighbours, we have collected some basic supplies, blankets, clothing, canned food, and bottled water.

Why this is correct: Arlene's relief effort relies on getting help from her community. Her neighbours helped collect supplies, and she plans to involve the whole town of Gladstone.

Tips: Find the part of Arlene's letter about the relief effort. Read all of it, then check each option against her words.

Why the other options are wrong:

• renting her guest room to families in need: renting her guest room to families in need changes a free offer into a business arrangement that Arlene never suggests.
• asking the mayor of Spiritwood for help: asking the mayor of Spiritwood for help names the wrong town, since Arlene will meet Gladstone's mayor to organize local support.
• training as an environmental clean-up expert: training as an environmental clean-up expert is invented, while Arlene is already a medical professional collecting relief goods.

Correct Answer: received some minor damage

Passage Reference: Still, you were lucky that there were only some broken windows and a little flooding in a few rooms.

Why this is correct: received some minor damage accurately describes the limited harm to the house. Broken windows and a little indoor flooding are serious but much less than losing the whole home.

Tips: Find where Arlene talks about Maggie and Alex's house. Read the whole sentence carefully before you choose.

Why the other options are wrong:

• was very badly damaged: was very badly damaged exaggerates the harm, especially when Arlene says Maggie and Alex were luckier than many victims.
• suffered damage to the guest room: suffered damage to the guest room identifies a room that belongs to Arlene's home, not the damaged house in Spiritwood.
• was less damaged than their farm: There is no farm belonging to Maggie and Alex. The farmland mentioned is part of the wider disaster area.

Correct Answer: sending useful goods to Spiritwood

Passage Reference: A friend of ours, travelling in the direction of Spiritwood in a few days, has offered to drop off the packages.

Why this is correct: sending useful goods to Spiritwood is one action Arlene is taking. The packages contain blankets, clothing, food, water, and other basic supplies.

Tips: For an action question, find what the writer is actually arranging rather than what she wishes she could do.

Why the other options are wrong:

• worried about James' well-being: worried about James' well-being is not stated, because Arlene speaks positively about his plan to help after university classes.
• concerned about Maggie and Alex's health: Their email says they are both okay, so she is not worried about their health. She still cares about their situation.
• planning to visit Maggie and Alex: planning to visit Maggie and Alex conflicts with Arlene's clinic workload, which prevents her from going to help in person.

Correct Answer: offer her sympathy and support

Passage Reference: If there is anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. Since we all met in medical school, you have both been like family to Peter and me.

Why this is correct: offer her sympathy and support captures the purpose of Arlene's caring message. She expresses sorrow, describes practical help, and offers her friends a room.

Tips: Find the overall purpose by combining the greeting, offers, and closing tone.

Why the other options are wrong:

• offer financial help to her friends: offer financial help to her friends is too specific because Arlene offers goods, housing, and assistance but no money.
• request donations for affected families: Arlene does not ask Maggie and Alex for donations. She only tells them about a drive being organized in Gladstone.
• request assistance in her medical clinic: request assistance in her medical clinic reverses the purpose, since Arlene is offering help to the storm victims.

Correct Answer: travel to Spiritwood

Passage Reference: James is finishing his last semester of university next week, so he’ll be flying out right after his classes end on Friday.

Why this is correct: travel to Spiritwood follows from James joining a group that will clean the flooded area. He will fly out as soon as his Friday classes finish.

Tips: Combine a person's destination clue with the job that awaits them there.

Why the other options are wrong:

• deliver medical supplies: deliver medical supplies assigns James a task never stated, since his group will help clean up the flooded area.
• organize aid in Gladstone: organize aid in Gladstone is Arlene's plan with the mayor, while James is leaving to volunteer near the flood.
• cut short his studies to help: cut short his studies to help gets the timing wrong because James waits until his final classes have ended.

Correct Answer: a place to stay

Passage Reference: We have a guest room that you are more than welcome to stay in for as long as you need to.

Why this is correct: a place to stay is the offer Maggie thanks Arlene for. The guest room would give Maggie and Alex housing if they had to leave home.

Tips: Find the parts where Arlene offers help. Check each option against what she really offers.

Why the other options are wrong:

• plane tickets to Gladstone: plane tickets to Gladstone are never offered, and the roads rather than flight costs are the travel problem discussed.
• medical supplies: Arlene says she cannot travel to provide medical help because she is busy at the clinic. Her personal offer to Maggie and Alex is a guest room, not medical supplies.
• building supplies: building supplies are absent from Arlene's package list, which contains daily necessities such as food, water, and blankets.

Correct Answer: stay in our own home

Passage Reference: Still, you were lucky that there were only some broken windows and a little flooding in a few rooms.

Why this is correct: stay in our own home is possible because the damage is limited. Maggie says they do not need Arlene's guest room at the moment.

Tips: Find what Arlene says about Maggie and Alex's house. Think about what that means for them, then test each option.

Why the other options are wrong:

• clear the broken trees: clear the broken trees describes clean-up work, not the reason Maggie and Alex can decline temporary housing.
• repair the roof: repair the roof introduces damage that was never reported, as the house had broken windows and some flooded rooms.
• rebuild our house: rebuild our house would be necessary after destruction, but their home remains usable despite minor damage.

Correct Answer: relief packages

Passage Reference: A friend of ours, travelling in the direction of Spiritwood in a few days, has offered to drop off the packages.

Why this is correct: relief packages are what Maggie hopes can get through the blocked roads. Arlene has arranged for a travelling friend to deliver them toward Spiritwood.

Tips: When a reply says something will “make it through,” look for an earlier delivery plan.

Why the other options are wrong:

• mayor: mayor refers to Sarah Stanley in Gladstone, who is helping organize a drive rather than travelling through the roadblocks.
• medical team: medical team is not being sent because Arlene and Peter must keep working at their understaffed clinic.
• army personnel: army personnel are never mentioned among the government aid or volunteer efforts in either message.

Correct Answer: the internet

Passage Reference: I was relieved when I received an email from you. It was good to learn that you are both okay but unfortunate to hear that your house was damaged.

Why this is correct: the internet is still working because Maggie and Arlene can exchange email. This explains how they communicate while many other services are disrupted.

Tips: Infer the working service from the communication method used by both writers.

Why the other options are wrong:

• our radio: our radio might provide news, but it would not let Maggie send the email that Arlene received.
• the phone service: the phone service is not supported by their method of contact, which is consistently described as email.
• the postal service: the postal service is too slow and does not explain the electronic message Maggie is currently sending.

Correct Answer: team of volunteers is

Passage Reference: Still, our younger son James has volunteered with a group that will help clean up the flooded area.

Why this is correct: team of volunteers is the help connected directly with James. Maggie welcomes the whole group because the flooded area needs a large clean-up effort.

Tips: Match a pronoun or person's name to the exact help that person has offered.

Why the other options are wrong:

• medical supplies are: medical supplies are not James's contribution, since his stated role is physical clean-up with a group.
• university friends are: The message never says the people travelling with James are university friends. It only calls them a volunteer group.
• clothing donations are: clothing donations are part of Arlene and Peter's packages, not the offer Maggie asks Arlene to thank James for.