Question 22·Easy·Inferences
In 2022, a city transit agency introduced a trial 'quiet car' policy on several commuter trains, asking passengers to keep conversations brief and devices muted. Some riders worried the policy would be hard to enforce and might frustrate commuters. After a month, complaint reports on those trains dropped by 40 percent, and survey responses described the cars as 'calmer' and 'less stressful.' The agency extended the policy to all rush-hour routes.
Which inference is best supported by this information?
For SAT inference questions, first restate in your head: “Which choice is strongly supported by what’s actually written?” Underline or note the key results or outcomes in the passage, then test each answer by asking, “Where’s the proof?” Eliminate choices that add new facts, use extreme language like "all" or "always," or talk about topics the passage never mentions (such as speed or policies not described). The correct answer will be a safe, modest conclusion that closely matches the evidence given.
Hints
Locate the outcome of the policy
Reread the sentences that describe what happened after the quiet car policy was introduced. What specific changes are mentioned?
Think about tone and reactions
Pay attention to the words used in the surveys (like how riders describe the cars) and what the agency decided to do with the policy afterward. Do these details sound positive, negative, or neutral?
Check for information that is NOT mentioned
Look at each answer choice and ask: Does the passage actually say this, or am I guessing? Eliminate any option that talks about travel speed, where everyone chose to sit, or changes in announcements, since those are never described.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the question is asking
The question asks for an inference that is best supported by the information in the passage. That means you must pick the choice that is strongly backed up by what is actually stated, not by guesses or outside knowledge.
Pull out the key results from the trial
Focus on what happened after the quiet car policy was introduced:
- "complaint reports on those trains dropped by 40 percent"
- survey responses described the cars as "calmer" and "less stressful"
- the agency then "extended the policy to all rush-hour routes"
These details show how riders felt and how the agency reacted.
Decide what those results show overall
A big drop in complaints and surveys calling the cars calmer and less stressful together show that riders were having a better time on those trains. The agency’s decision to expand the policy suggests they also viewed it as successful. This points to an inference about riders’ overall experience, not about speed, exact seating choices, or announcements.
Match the supported idea to the answer choice
Now choose the option that rephrases the idea that riders’ experiences became more positive after the policy. That idea is best captured by: “The quiet car policy improved riders' overall experience on the trains.”