Read the following article from a website.
Saskatoon has eleven public washrooms in its parks and downtown core, and every one of them is locked at ten o’clock at night. City council will vote in April on a pilot that would keep three downtown washrooms open around the clock for one year, with an attendant on duty from ten at night until six in the morning. The pilot would cost about 640,000 dollars, mostly for wages.
Councillor Ilaria Sandoval, who brought the motion, says the city is already paying for the problem. “When the washrooms close, people still need a toilet, so they use doorways, alleys and the riverbank,” she said. “Our crews spend hours every morning cleaning up. I would rather pay one person to keep a clean washroom open than pay three crews to clean the streets.” Sandoval says the pilot would also serve taxi drivers, delivery workers and nurses coming off late shifts.
Garnet Tellier, who directs the downtown business association, is not convinced. “Our members have seen washroom doors kicked in and pipes torn out,” Tellier said. “An attendant at one site is a start, but who watches the other two when that person takes a break?” He says the money would do more good if it paid for a daytime outreach team. Abenaa Sackey, a nurse who works with people who sleep outside, disagrees strongly. “Dignity should not end at ten o’clock,” she said. “Some of my patients have kidney problems or take medication that makes them need a toilet often. For them, a locked door is a health risk.”
Evert Sjoberg, who manages the city’s parks buildings, says the plan can work only with enough staff. “We already struggle to fill night shifts at the leisure centres,” he explained. “If we cannot hire the attendants, the washrooms will either close early or stay open with nobody watching them, and neither choice is good.” Sjoberg has asked council for permission to offer a higher hourly wage for the night positions.
Using the drop-down menu (▾), choose the best option according to the information given on the website.
The main point of the article is that 2..
The author presents the plan as 3..
Abenaa Sackey would likely say that the pilot 4..
At present, Evert Sjoberg wants 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: a trial of keeping some washrooms open overnight
Why this is correct: Council will vote on a pilot that would keep three downtown washrooms open around the clock for a year.
Passage Reference: a pilot that would keep three downtown washrooms open around the clock for one year
Tips: The main subject is the proposal that every speaker has a view on. Test your choice against each speaker in turn, not just the loudest one.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a plan to build new washrooms in city parks: The washrooms already exist. Nobody plans to build new ones.
- a shortage of nurses on late shifts: Nurses are only one group that the pilot would serve.
- the rising cost of cleaning city streets: Cleaning costs are part of Sandoval’s argument, not the main topic.
Correct Answer: the pilot has support, but some doubt its value
Passage Reference: He says the money would do more good if it paid for a daytime outreach team.
Why this is correct: Sandoval and Sackey back the pilot, and Sjoberg says it can work with enough staff. Tellier says the money would do more good on a daytime outreach team.
Tips: Think about Sandoval, Tellier, Sackey and Sjoberg together. An option is right only if the whole article backs it, not a single speaker.
Why the other options are wrong:
- the plan would cost less than cleaning the streets: Sandoval argues this, but it is one speaker’s claim. The article does not show that it is true.
- business owners now fully support the plan: Tellier speaks for downtown businesses, and he is not convinced.
- the city’s cleaning crews would lose their jobs: Sandoval mentions cleaning crews, but nobody says they would lose their jobs.
Correct Answer: a proposal that council has not yet voted on
Passage Reference: City council will vote in April on a pilot
Why this is correct: The reporter writes that council will vote in April on the pilot. So it is still a proposal, not a decision.
Tips: Ignore what the speakers say. Use the reporter’s plain facts to judge each option.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a waste of the city’s money: Tellier has doubts, but the reporter never calls the spending wasted.
- a plan the reporter clearly favours: The reporter gives no opinion. Support and doubts come from the people quoted.
- a project local businesses will pay for: The article never says businesses will pay. Tellier wants the money spent differently.
Correct Answer: would protect the health of some of her patients
Passage Reference: Some of my patients have kidney problems or take medication that makes them need a toilet often. For them, a locked door is a health risk.
Why this is correct: Sackey says some of her patients need a toilet often, and for them a locked door is a health risk. So she would say the pilot protects their health.
Tips: Read what Sackey says in her quotes. Ask which option her words lead to, and rule out lines that come from others or from nobody.
Why the other options are wrong:
- would cost the city more than it saves: Sackey never talks about cost. Sandoval says the pilot would save on cleaning, and Tellier wants the money used elsewhere.
- would mostly lead to damage and repairs: Tellier talks about doors kicked in and pipes torn out. Sackey does not predict damage.
- should be replaced by a daytime team: Tellier suggests a daytime outreach team. Sackey disagrees with him strongly.
Correct Answer: approval to offer the attendants higher pay
Passage Reference: Sjoberg has asked council for permission to offer a higher hourly wage for the night positions.
Why this is correct: Sjoberg has asked council for permission to offer a higher hourly wage for the night positions. That is what he wants right now.
Tips: Look at the facts the reporter gives about Sjoberg as well as his quote. Pick the option they show is true right now.
Why the other options are wrong:
- money for a daytime outreach team: Tellier wants a daytime outreach team. Sjoberg does not mention one.
- more crews to clean the streets each morning: Sandoval says crews spend hours cleaning each morning. Nobody asks for more crews.
- a ban on night use of park buildings: Sjoberg wants the plan properly staffed. He does not ask for a ban.
Correct Answer: eleven
Passage Reference: Saskatoon has eleven public washrooms in its parks and downtown core
Why this is correct: The article says Saskatoon has eleven public washrooms in its parks and downtown core.
Tips: Here you need the total number of sites. Do not confuse it with the number in the pilot.
Why the other options are wrong:
- nine: Nine is not in the article. The number is bigger.
- ten: Ten is the hour the washrooms close, not the number of washrooms.
- twelve: Twelve is not in the article. The number is smaller.
Correct Answer: six
Passage Reference: with an attendant on duty from ten at night until six in the morning
Why this is correct: The attendant would be on duty from ten at night until six in the morning.
Tips: You need an hour. Find when the attendant’s night shift would end.
Why the other options are wrong:
- two: The attendant’s shift goes later than two in the morning.
- four: Four is not in the article.
- eight: Eight is not in the article. The shift ends earlier.
Correct Answer: riverbank
Passage Reference: so they use doorways, alleys and the riverbank
Why this is correct: Sandoval says that when the washrooms close, people use doorways, alleys and the riverbank.
Tips: The commenter is repeating the councillor’s description. Find the third place she names.
Why the other options are wrong:
- parking garages: Parking garages are not mentioned in the article.
- bus shelters: Bus shelters are not mentioned in the article.
- school yards: School yards are not mentioned in the article.
Correct Answer: ten o’clock
Passage Reference: Dignity should not end at ten o’clock
Why this is correct: Sackey says, “Dignity should not end at ten o’clock.” That is the hour the washrooms are locked.
Tips: The commenter quotes the nurse. Find her exact words, and link them to when the doors close now.
Why the other options are wrong:
- midnight: Sackey does not mention midnight.
- sunset: Sunset is not mentioned in the article.
- two o’clock: Two o’clock is not mentioned in the article.
Correct Answer: leisure centres
Passage Reference: We already struggle to fill night shifts at the leisure centres
Why this is correct: Sjoberg says the city already struggles to fill night shifts at the leisure centres.
Tips: The commenter means the parks manager. Find where he says night jobs are already hard to fill.
Why the other options are wrong:
- community halls: Community halls are not mentioned in the article.
- public pools: Pools are not mentioned in the article.
- ice rinks: Ice rinks are not mentioned in the article.
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