Question 13·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
The passage below is adapted from a 1920 journal entry by a young architect traveling to a meeting across town.
I left the boardinghouse just after dawn, carrying my roll of drawings and a small thermos of coffee. The streetcar rattled past every few minutes, but I preferred to cross the three bridges on foot. The river was swollen from last night’s rain, and a silver fog wrapped the iron arches, turning even the factory chimneys into soft silhouettes. More important, the long walk let me rehearse my presentation in peace, ticking off each main point on my fingers while gulls wheeled overhead.
According to the passage, why does the narrator choose to walk instead of taking the streetcar?
For central idea and detail questions like this, first locate the exact sentence or two that relate to the part of the question (here, the decision to walk vs. take the streetcar). Read those lines carefully and identify any reasons or explanations the author clearly states. Then, test each answer choice against the text: eliminate choices that introduce new ideas not mentioned, contradict the passage, or rely on assumptions, and choose the one that directly restates or sums up the reason given in the passage.
Hints
Find where the choice is described
Reread the sentence that mentions the streetcar and the narrator’s preference. Focus especially on the sentences that come right after the words "but I preferred to cross the three bridges on foot."
Look for stated benefits of walking
Ask yourself: What does the narrator notice or describe while walking across the bridges? What does the narrator say the long walk allows her to do?
Check each choice against the passage
For each answer, ask: Is this specific reason actually mentioned in the passage, or am I guessing based on what might be true in real life?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate the part of the passage that answers the question
The question asks why the narrator chooses to walk instead of taking the streetcar. Look for where the narrator mentions the streetcar and then pay attention to what comes right after that, because authors often state their reasons immediately after describing a choice.
Read the sentences after the mention of the streetcar
The key sentence is: "The streetcar rattled past every few minutes, but I preferred to cross the three bridges on foot." Right after this, the narrator describes what the walk is like: the swollen river, silver fog on the iron arches, and factory chimneys as soft silhouettes. Then the narrator adds, "More important, the long walk let me rehearse my presentation in peace, ticking off each main point on my fingers while gulls wheeled overhead." These details explain the benefits of walking.
Match the passage’s reasons to the answer choices
From the passage, the walk offers two main benefits: (1) she notices the beautiful, atmospheric scenery along the river, and (2) she uses the long walk to quietly rehearse her presentation. The answer choice that matches both the enjoyment of the surroundings and the chance to think quietly is: She enjoys the scenery and time to think.