An inference question with a blank at the end tests what conclusion you can draw from the facts. Read the words leading into the blank to see what the ending needs to explain. For a person's experience before and after a change, put each clue in a few words so you can compare them. Then predict a conclusion without adding new facts. A choice goes past the text if it needs facts the passage doesn't give.
Hints
- Hint 1
Look at the reasons for Helena's earlier routine. What kept her from visiting the destinations often before the route opened?
- Hint 2
Compare her visits before and after the route opened. What changed in how she got to the library and park and how often she went?
Step-by-step
Use Helena's change in routine
Step 1Find the earlier travel problem
Before the route opened, Helena rarely visited these places. Why were visits hard? She didn't have a car, and the nearest regular bus stop was a mile away, so getting to the library and park was difficult. The ending asks what her experience shows, so this is our first clue.
- Step 2
Put the change in a few words
What changes once the route opens? Helena and her children ride the new bus three or four times a week, spending time at the library and park. The new route connects her neighborhood to those destinations, so the earlier travel problem no longer keeps visits rare. Our small prediction is that the bus helps her visit community places more often.
- Step 3
Match the conclusion to her example
The ending In this way, Helena uses one resident's experience to show a benefit of the service. Which choice names that benefit? Increases residents’ access to community amenities means making local places easier to reach and use, so it describes the benefit her example shows. Choice D.