Question 131·Medium·Inferences
A decade ago, Brookfield had only a few small community gardens. Today, the city oversees more than twenty. Each spring, available plots are claimed within days, and waiting lists have grown longer every year. The parks department has also added free workshops on composting and balcony planting, which now draw twice as many attendees as when they began.
This suggests that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For "This suggests that" inference questions, first mark any time words (like "a decade ago," "today") and track how each mentioned quantity or behavior changes over time. Then, before looking at the choices, sum up the overall trend in your own words. Eliminate any option that introduces a new, specific idea (like a rule, plan, or prediction) that isn’t supported by the passage. The correct answer will be a general statement that matches all the given evidence and stays within what the text logically implies.
Hints
Notice the time comparison
Underline phrases that show time, like "a decade ago" and "today." Ask: what is different now compared to before?
Track what is going up or down
List each thing mentioned (number of gardens, how fast plots are taken, length of waiting lists, workshop attendance) and decide whether each one has increased, decreased, or stayed the same.
Think about what all those trends point to
Once you see the pattern in those changes, ask yourself: what broad conclusion about the community and gardening do these details support, without adding new ideas?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what is changing over time
First, notice the time frame: the passage compares "a decade ago" to "today." Then list the changes:
- Gardens: from "only a few small community gardens" to the city overseeing "more than twenty."
- Plot demand: plots are now "claimed within days."
- Waiting lists: they "have grown longer every year."
- Workshops: there are new, free workshops that now draw "twice as many attendees as when they began."
Look for the common pattern in those details
Ask yourself: What do all these changes have in common?
- The number of gardens increased.
- The speed at which plots are claimed increased.
- The length of the waiting lists increased.
- The number of workshop attendees increased.
The shared pattern is that participation and demand related to gardening activities have gone up over time.
Match that pattern to the kind of conclusion the question asks for
The question stem says, "This suggests that _____." That means you are looking for a general conclusion that is supported by all those details, without introducing new specific information.
So the correct completion should:
- Summarize the overall upward trend in gardening-related demand and participation.
- Stay within what the text implies, not add new plans, rules, or predictions.
Choose the option that fits all the evidence
Now compare the answer choices:
- A talks about the city planning to sell produce — the passage never mentions selling produce.
- B says the workshops are mandatory — the passage only calls them "free workshops," not required.
- D claims the waiting lists will disappear next spring — there is no evidence about that; the text actually says the lists have been growing.
Only C, "residents’ interest in urban gardening has increased," correctly captures the overall pattern of more gardens, higher demand for plots, longer waiting lists, and higher workshop attendance, so C is the best answer.