An inference question with a final blank tests what conclusion you can draw from the facts. Read the words leading into the blank to see what kind of ending it needs, then put the main clues in a few words. If the passage reports a change, connect what happened with what came before it and predict the smallest conclusion the clues support. A result from one program supports a possible link, not a promise about every person or setting.
Hints
- Hint 1
Look for what volunteers received in the pilot and what happened to the number of active contributors.
- Hint 2
Link the two pilot details. What do they suggest together, without adding a claim the passage doesn't support?
Step-by-step
Follow the pilot's change
Step 1Find the result that guides the inference
Start at In a recent pilot program, where the passage shifts from map accuracy to what happened in one program. Which facts should guide our conclusion? The opening describes the quality of volunteers' maps, but the pilot reports monthly feedback and a change in how many took part. Since the blank asks what we can infer, the pilot's change in participation is the key clue.
- Step 2
Connect the feedback with the result
Now ask: what did volunteers receive, and what followed? They got monthly summaries showing how their edits improved deliveries and emergency routes, and the number of active contributors rose significantly. The reports connected map edits to useful changes outside the platform, so volunteers could see how their work helped other people. Let's predict seeing what their edits achieved encouraged participation. We don't know why each contributor joined or whether the same result would happen everywhere.
- Step 3
Check what each ending adds
The ending about same rate even if they lose internet access adds a situation the passage never describes. No longer necessary for any mapping tasks goes from saying volunteers' maps are accurate to saying professionals aren't needed for any mapping job. The ending about financial bonuses adds payments the passage never mentions. The ending about real-world impact uses can help, meaning the feedback may encourage participation without guaranteeing it. Choice D.