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, first restate in your own words what the passage is mainly doing (e.g., describing a change, arguing for a policy, comparing two things, telling a story). Then quickly scan the beginning and end of the passage to confirm that main function. Eliminate choices that add new topics (like nationwide policy or privatization), rely on extreme words ("always," "never," "nationwide") not supported by the text, or mention comparisons or arguments that don’t actually appear. Choose the option that matches both the passage’s subject and the author’s overall action (describe, compare, argue, narrate) without going beyond what’s written.
Hints
Check the first and last sentences
Look at the first and last sentences of the passage. What change do they describe, and what future decision is mentioned? That often reveals the overall focus.
Look for comparisons or arguments
Ask yourself: does the passage compare Riverton to any other towns or systems, or does it argue for a policy change on a large scale? Or is it mainly explaining what happened in one place?
Watch for extreme language in the choices
Pay attention to words like "nationwide" or "always" in the answer choices. Check whether the passage actually makes such broad or absolute claims.
Match the choice to both what changed and what happened afterward
The passage both describes a specific change and gives several statistics and reactions. Look for the choice that includes both of these elements, not just one.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the general topic of the passage
Read the whole passage and ask: What is this mainly about?
Here, the text focuses on Riverton, a small town that replaced two lightly used bus routes with on-demand shuttles that riders can request by app or phone. So the topic is a specific change in Riverton’s public transit system.
Notice what the author does with that topic
Look at what kind of information is given:
- Reason for the change: "intended to reduce costs while improving access to jobs and clinics."
- Specific results: wait times fell, more neighborhoods were reached, ridership increased by 19%, most riders said the service was "easier to use."
- Next step: the council will decide whether to expand the program.
This shows the passage is describing a change and then reporting early results of that change, not making a big argument about the whole country.
Eliminate choices that add ideas not in the passage
Go through the answer choices and cross out those that mention things the passage never discusses:
- If a choice mentions nationwide policies or privatization, check whether those words or ideas appear in the text. They don’t.
- If a choice says the text compares Riverton with other towns, look for any mention of other towns. There isn’t any.
- If a choice uses strong words like "always", ask if the passage really makes that absolute claim, or just describes one case.
These clues help you remove options that are too broad or too extreme.
Select the choice that matches the description and results
Only one choice accurately reflects both parts of the passage: it focuses on Riverton’s specific switch from fixed-route buses to on-demand shuttles and summarizes the early outcomes of that six-month pilot (shorter waits, more coverage, higher ridership, positive rider feedback). That choice is: “To describe Riverton's switch to on-demand shuttles and report early outcomes of the pilot program.”