Read the following passage.
A. Public transit carries people around Canadian cities by bus, train, subway and even ferry. As cities grew, many people could no longer live within walking distance of work, so urban transportation became more and more important. Governments at all levels continue to expand transit, partly to make cities more liveable. Transit matters more to some groups than to others. In the 2021 census, 9.6 per cent of women commuted by public transit, compared with 6.0 per cent of men. Women made up 57.8 per cent of people who mainly used transit to get to work, but only 46.2 per cent of all commuters.
B. In the largest cities, rapid transit moves many people quickly. Toronto opened Canada's first subway in 1954, and Montreal's metro followed on 14 October 1966. It was also the first subway in North America whose trains ran on rubber tires rather than metal wheels. It runs entirely underground and now has four lines covering 71 km, with 68 stations. In Metro Vancouver, three automated SkyTrain lines link Downtown Vancouver with nearby cities and the airport. The LRT in Edmonton also has three lines, called the Capital, Metro and Valley lines.
C. Other services fill the gaps. Vancouver's SeaBus is a passenger ferry that crosses the Burrard Inlet between Downtown Vancouver and North Vancouver. Each ferry seats up to 395 people, the crossing takes about 12 minutes, and boats leave every 15 minutes during the day. In Calgary, a shared-ride, door-to-door service is available to people who cannot use the regular buses and CTrains, and the regular CTrains and buses have ramps that can be lowered. In Toronto, the Blue Night Network runs on most major routes from about 1:30 a.m. until the subway opens, with service every 30 minutes or better.
D. Statistics Canada counts how much people use these systems every month. In July 2026, riders took about 122.5 million trips on urban transit, 1.6 per cent fewer than in July 2025. June 2026 was different: ridership rose 3.3 per cent as the FIFA World Cup boosted transit use in Toronto and Vancouver. Ridership usually drops from June to July because of summer vacations, fewer students and more active travel. In July 2026 the drop from June was similar, despite steady employment, a steep increase in gasoline prices and a new four-day in-office rule for federal workers.
E. Not given in any of the above paragraphs.
Decide which paragraph, A to D, has the information given in each statement below. Select E if the information is not given in any of the paragraphs.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Correct Answer: C
Why this is correct: Look at Paragraph C. In Calgary, a shared-ride, door-to-door service is for people who cannot use the regular buses and CTrains. A door-to-door trip starts at the rider's door.
Passage Reference: In Calgary, a shared-ride, door-to-door service is available to people who cannot use the regular buses and CTrains, and the regular CTrains and buses have ramps that can be lowered.
Tips: Find what Calgary offers. Check who can use it and where the trip begins.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Paragraph A lists buses, trains and ferries in general. It says nothing about Calgary or special trips.
- B: Paragraph B describes subways and rail lines in four cities. Calgary and door-to-door trips are not in it.
- D: Paragraph D gives trip numbers for the whole country. It does not describe any service for riders with special needs.
- E: The Calgary door-to-door service is described in Paragraph C, after the SeaBus.
Correct Answer: B
Passage Reference: Toronto opened Canada's first subway in 1954, and Montreal's metro followed on 14 October 1966.
Why this is correct: Check the dates in Paragraph B. Toronto opened Canada's first subway in 1954. Montreal's metro followed in 1966. The gap between them is twelve years.
Tips: Paragraph C also says the subway opens. Ask if it means the time of day or the year it was built.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Paragraph A gives the year of the 2021 census. It has no opening dates for any system.
- C: Paragraph C mentions Toronto's night buses running until the subway opens each morning. That is a daily start time, not the year it opened.
- D: Paragraph D mentions Toronto and a sports event in 2026. It does not say when any subway began.
- E: Both opening years, 1954 and 1966, are in Paragraph B.
Correct Answer: E
Passage Reference: Vancouver's SeaBus is a passenger ferry that crosses the Burrard Inlet between Downtown Vancouver and North Vancouver.
Why this is correct: Paragraph C tells you where the SeaBus goes, how many people it seats and how often it leaves. It never says who operates it. North Vancouver is only the place where the crossing ends.
Tips: Paragraph C names North Vancouver as a stop. Check if it also names who runs the ferry.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Paragraph A says governments keep expanding transit. It does not name any government that runs a ferry.
- B: Paragraph B covers SkyTrain in Metro Vancouver. The ferry and its operator are not mentioned.
- C: The SeaBus is in Paragraph C, with its route and timetable. The group that runs it is left out.
- D: Paragraph D names Statistics Canada, which counts trips. It does not run any service.
Correct Answer: C
Passage Reference: Each ferry seats up to 395 people, the crossing takes about 12 minutes, and boats leave every 15 minutes during the day.
Why this is correct: Paragraph C describes the SeaBus, a passenger ferry across the Burrard Inlet. Each crossing takes about 12 minutes. So the trip across is around twelve minutes.
Tips: Find the boat for people on foot. Check the length of the trip across the inlet, and compare it with twelve minutes.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Paragraph A lists ferries as one kind of transit. It gives no trip times.
- B: Paragraph B describes rail lines that reach the airport. It has no boats.
- D: Paragraph D reports monthly trip totals. Trip lengths are not part of it.
- E: The twelve-minute crossing is in Paragraph C, in the sentence about seats and departures.
Correct Answer: B
Passage Reference: It runs entirely underground and now has four lines covering 71 km, with 68 stations.
Why this is correct: Look at Paragraph B. Montreal's metro now has four lines covering 71 km, with 68 stations. Sixty-eight is close to seventy.
Tips: This is about the size of the Montreal network. Find how many routes and stops it has, and compare them with the statement.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Paragraph A gives percentages about who uses transit. It does not count lines or stations.
- C: Paragraph C says Toronto's night service runs on most major routes. It gives no number of stations.
- D: Paragraph D counts trips, not stations. Montreal is not named in it.
- E: The four lines and 68 stations are in Paragraph B.
Correct Answer: A
Passage Reference: Women made up 57.8 per cent of people who mainly used transit to get to work, but only 46.2 per cent of all commuters.
Why this is correct: The last sentence of Paragraph A is the match. Women were 57.8 per cent of people who mainly used transit to get to work. They were only 46.2 per cent of all commuters. So their share is larger among transit riders.
Tips: Two numbers are compared here. Check that both are about women.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: Paragraph B describes rail systems in four cities. It has no figures about women or men.
- C: Paragraph C tells you about ferries, night buses and a service for riders with special needs. It does not compare groups of riders.
- D: Paragraph D gives percentage changes in trips. Those numbers are not about women.
- E: The figures for women are at the end of Paragraph A.
Correct Answer: E
Passage Reference: The LRT in Edmonton also has three lines, called the Capital, Metro and Valley lines.
Why this is correct: Paragraph B names the SkyTrain and the Edmonton LRT. It says each has three lines. It gives no passenger numbers, so it cannot say which carries more.
Tips: The same number of lines does not tell you the number of riders. Look for passenger counts.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Paragraph A gives census figures for all commuters. It does not name Edmonton or Vancouver.
- B: Both systems are in Paragraph B, but only their lines are counted. How many people use each is missing.
- C: Paragraph C describes a ferry in Vancouver. It says nothing about Edmonton.
- D: Paragraph D gives trip totals for the whole country. It does not split them by system.
Correct Answer: C
Passage Reference: In Toronto, the Blue Night Network runs on most major routes from about 1:30 a.m. until the subway opens, with service every 30 minutes or better.
Why this is correct: The last sentence of Paragraph C covers this. The Blue Night Network runs on most major routes from about 1:30 a.m. until the subway opens. Service comes every 30 minutes or better, which is at least every half hour.
Tips: Toronto shows up more than once. Look for late-night hours.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Paragraph A talks about transit across Canadian cities in general. It gives no hours of service.
- B: Paragraph B tells you when Toronto's subway first opened in 1954. It does not mention night service.
- D: Paragraph D names Toronto as a World Cup host. It does not describe service at night.
- E: The Blue Night Network ends Paragraph C, with its hours and frequency.
Correct Answer: D
Passage Reference: In July 2026, riders took about 122.5 million trips on urban transit, 1.6 per cent fewer than in July 2025.
Why this is correct: Look at Paragraph D. In July 2026, riders took about 122.5 million trips. That was 1.6 per cent fewer than in July 2025. A drop of 1.6 per cent is slight.
Tips: Look for trips in a summer month of 2026. Check whether there were fewer than in the same month a year before.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Paragraph A compares women and men in 2021. It does not compare one July with another.
- B: Paragraph B gives opening years of rail systems. It has no monthly trip counts.
- C: Paragraph C gives how often boats and night buses run. It does not report trip totals.
- E: Paragraph D compares July 2026 with July 2025 near its start.
The rest of this explanation is for members. Sign in free to read why the other options are wrong, key words and tips.
Sign in to read the full explanation