Read the following article from a website.
The town of Pinewick runs its own commuter rail line into the city, and its rail board is considering a quiet car on weekday morning trains. Riders in that car would be asked not to take phone calls, play videos out loud or hold loud conversations. The rail board will discuss the idea at its meeting on March 12, after more than 2,000 riders signed a petition in favour. If the board agrees, signs could go up within a few months.
Wenonah Kowalchuk, who leads a commuter group on the line, says the demand is clear. “Our survey found that riders want silence most between seven and nine in the morning,” she said. “People are starting a long workday or finishing a night shift. They just want to close their eyes for forty minutes.” Kowalchuk adds that the cost would be small. “A few signs on the ceiling and cards on the seats would do it,” Kowalchuk said.
Tadeusz Lemaire, a conductor on the line for nineteen years, is less excited. “The moment two riders start fighting over the rules, the quiet car becomes the loudest car on the train,” Lemaire said. “I have seen this happen on other lines before. On a packed train, I can’t spend my whole shift asking people to put their phones away.” He wants a trial in one car first, with complaint numbers made public.
Chidinma Lockwood, an accessibility advocate, says quiet space matters most to riders who are sensitive to noise. “For some of our members, a noisy train means arriving at work with a headache that lasts all day,” she said. “About one in six of them have stopped taking the train at all.” Halvard Kinsella, a transit planner, supports a trial but worries about crowding. “Rush-hour trains already need room for bicycles and wheelchairs,” Kinsella said. “If we do this, the rail app has to tell people where the quiet car stops, or they will run up and down the platform looking for it,” he added.
Using the drop-down menu (▾), choose the best option according to the information given on the website.
Tadeusz Lemaire predicts that riders fighting over the rules would result in 2..
This article shows that 3..
All of the people quoted in the article seem to agree that 4..
Wenonah Kowalchuk’s position would most likely be supported by 5..
The following is a comment by a visitor to the website page. Complete the comment by choosing the best option to fill in each blank.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Correct Answer: setting aside a quiet car on trains
Why this is correct: The town’s rail board is considering a quiet car on weekday morning trains. Every speaker talks about that idea.
Passage Reference: its rail board is considering a quiet car on weekday morning trains
Tips: Check each option against Kowalchuk, Lemaire, Lockwood and Kinsella. Drop any option that only one of them talks about.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a new rail app for commuters: Kinsella mentions the rail app, but it already exists. It is only one detail.
- a petition for more morning trains: The petition supports the quiet car. It does not ask for more trains.
- a change to weekend train times: Weekend trains are never mentioned. The quiet car is for weekday mornings.
Correct Answer: the quiet car becoming the noisiest one
Passage Reference: The moment two riders start fighting over the rules, the quiet car becomes the loudest car on the train
Why this is correct: Lemaire says that once two riders start fighting over the rules, the quiet car becomes the loudest car on the train.
Tips: Read Lemaire’s quoted words closely. Keep the result he himself predicts, and cross out any result that someone else gives.
Why the other options are wrong:
- riders giving up on the train for good: Lockwood says some of her members have stopped taking the train. Lemaire does not say this.
- people rushing up and down the platform: Kinsella fears people running along the platform if the app does not help. That is not Lemaire’s point.
- lower running costs for the rail line: Nobody says fights over the rules would lower costs.
Correct Answer: the idea is popular, but rail staff have doubts about running it
Passage Reference: signed a petition in favour ... Tadeusz Lemaire, a conductor on the line for nineteen years, is less excited. ... supports a trial but worries about crowding
Why this is correct: Riders signed a petition and a commuter group asks for the car. Lemaire, a conductor, and Kinsella, a planner, both see problems in running it.
Tips: Consider the views of Kowalchuk, Lemaire, Lockwood and Kinsella together. Choose the statement that is still true after you check it against each of them.
Why the other options are wrong:
- the quiet car would cost the line a lot of money: Kowalchuk says the cost would be small. Nobody says the car would be expensive.
- the idea is popular, and rail staff expect it to run smoothly: Riders do back the idea, but Lemaire fears fights over the rules and Kinsella worries about crowding.
- rail staff want the car on every train right away: Lemaire wants a trial in one car first, and Kinsella supports a trial. Neither asks for every train.
Correct Answer: a quiet car is worth trying in some form
Passage Reference: Our survey found that riders want silence most between seven and nine in the morning ... He wants a trial in one car first ... quiet space matters most to riders who are sensitive to noise ... supports a trial but worries about crowding
Why this is correct: Kowalchuk and Lockwood want a quiet car. Lemaire and Kinsella both accept a trial, so all four would at least try one.
Tips: Take Kowalchuk, Lemaire, Lockwood and Kinsella in turn. An option is right only when it fits what every one of them says.
Why the other options are wrong:
- the trial should begin in only one car: Only Lemaire asks for a trial in one car first. The others do not say this.
- the conductor should enforce the rules: Lemaire, the conductor, says he cannot spend his shift asking people to put phones away. Nobody else asks for this.
- the rail app needs to show where the quiet car stops: Only Kinsella talks about the rail app.
Correct Answer: low prices for printed signs and seat cards
Passage Reference: A few signs on the ceiling and cards on the seats would do it
Why this is correct: Kowalchuk says the cost would be small, because a few signs and cards would do it. Low prices for them would back up her case.
Tips: Read every sentence Kowalchuk says. For each option, decide whether it would help her argument, hurt it, or belong to another speaker’s case.
Why the other options are wrong:
- reports of riders fighting over quiet rules: Fights over the rules fit Lemaire’s doubts. They would not help Kowalchuk’s case.
- complaints about crowding on rush-hour trains: Crowding is Kinsella’s worry. It would not help Kowalchuk’s case.
- news that morning trains will run less often: Fewer trains have nothing to do with Kowalchuk’s reasons. Nobody in the article mentions them.
Correct Answer: March 12
Passage Reference: The rail board will discuss the idea at its meeting on March 12
Why this is correct: The board will discuss the idea at its meeting on March 12.
Tips: Look for the day and month of the board meeting.
Why the other options are wrong:
- March 2: The meeting is later in March than this.
- May 12: The meeting is in March, not May.
- May 21: May is not mentioned in the article.
Correct Answer: 2,000
Passage Reference: after more than 2,000 riders signed a petition in favour
Why this is correct: More than 2,000 riders signed a petition in favour of the quiet car.
Tips: Look for how many people signed. Read the number with care, because the options look alike.
Why the other options are wrong:
- 2,200: The article gives a smaller number than 2,200.
- 12,000: The petition had far fewer names than 12,000.
- 20,000: The article gives a much lower number of riders.
Correct Answer: forty minutes
Passage Reference: They just want to close their eyes for forty minutes.
Why this is correct: Kowalchuk says riders just want to close their eyes for forty minutes.
Tips: The commenter repeats the commuter leader’s words about resting. Find the length of time she gives.
Why the other options are wrong:
- twenty minutes: Kowalchuk gives a longer time than this.
- thirty minutes: Kowalchuk gives a longer time than this.
- sixty minutes: Kowalchuk gives a shorter time than this.
Correct Answer: one in six
Passage Reference: About one in six of them have stopped taking the train at all.
Why this is correct: Lockwood says about one in six of her members have stopped taking the train at all.
Tips: The advocate gives one share of her members. Find how many have given up on the train.
Why the other options are wrong:
- one in three: Lockwood gives a smaller share than this.
- one in ten: Lockwood gives a larger share than this.
- half: Lockwood does not say half of her members.
Correct Answer: bicycles
Passage Reference: Rush-hour trains already need room for bicycles and wheelchairs
Why this is correct: Kinsella says rush-hour trains already need room for bicycles and wheelchairs.
Tips: The commenter is thinking of the planner’s worry about crowding. Find what he says trains already carry.
Why the other options are wrong:
- strollers: Strollers are not mentioned in the article.
- luggage: Kinsella does not talk about luggage.
- scooters: Scooters are not mentioned in the article.
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