Question 112·Easy·Text Structure and Purpose
In many small towns, fixed-route buses run mostly empty outside rush hours. Officials in Riverton replaced two lightly used routes with on-demand shuttles that riders can request by app or phone. The change was intended to reduce costs while improving access to jobs and clinics. During a six-month pilot, average wait times fell from 28 minutes to 12 minutes. The shuttles also reached neighborhoods that had never been served under the old system. A city report noted a 19 percent increase in ridership, and most riders surveyed said the service was "easier to use." The council will decide whether to expand the program next year.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
For main-purpose questions, summarize in your own words what the passage mainly does (describe, argue, compare, narrate). Then choose the option that matches both the subject (what it’s about) and the function (what the author is doing), eliminating choices that add new topics, introduce comparisons not present, or use extreme/absolute language the passage doesn’t support.
Hints
Look for the passage’s subject and what it emphasizes
Identify the specific event or change the passage describes, then note whether most of the details are results/data, comparisons, or persuasion.
Check whether the passage argues or just reports
Does the author push a broad recommendation (for all places), or mainly report what happened in one town’s pilot?
Be cautious with extreme or extra details in choices
Words like “always” or ideas like “nationwide promotion” must be explicitly supported by the passage to be correct.
Pick the choice that includes both the change and the pilot outcomes
The best main-purpose answer should mention the switch to on-demand shuttles and the early reported effects (like wait times and ridership).
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the passage is about
The passage focuses on Riverton replacing two lightly used fixed bus routes with on-demand shuttles that riders can request by app or phone.
Identify what the passage does with that topic
After describing the change and its intent (reduce costs, improve access), the passage reports early outcomes: wait times decreased, coverage expanded, ridership increased, and surveyed riders found it easier to use.
Eliminate choices that add unsupported ideas
Eliminate choices that introduce topics not discussed (privatization or nationwide promotion), claim comparisons with other towns that aren’t provided, or make absolute statements like “always” true in all communities.
Choose the option that matches both the change and the reported results
The passage’s main purpose is best captured by: “To describe Riverton’s switch from lightly used bus routes to on-demand shuttles and report early outcomes such as shorter waits and higher ridership”.