Question 28·Easy·Inferences
The city of Riverton recently introduced free weekend bus service to reduce downtown traffic. Initial surveys show that weekend ridership doubled after fares were eliminated, while weekday ridership remained the same. The city council notes that other cities report similar patterns when they waive fares on certain days, suggesting that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For inference completion questions like this, first restate what happens in the passage in simple terms and identify the cause-and-effect or pattern being described. Then, before looking at the choices, predict the general idea that would logically follow (for example, “when X happens, Y tends to increase”). As you evaluate choices, eliminate any that (1) ignore key details (such as cost or specific days), (2) introduce new ideas not supported by the text (like causes of traffic), or (3) use extreme language (“only,” “regardless of,” “mostly”) that goes beyond the limited evidence. Choose the option that restates the pattern in a moderate, evidence-based way.
Hints
Locate the key comparison
Focus on the part of the sentence that mentions Riverton and “other cities.” What similar pattern is being described?
Connect the pattern to a cause
Ask yourself: What changed in Riverton, and what stayed the same? How did the change relate to when more people rode the bus?
Watch for extreme or unsupported claims
Look for answer choices that go beyond the information given, especially ones that make strong claims about all traffic, what happens “regardless of cost,” or what is the “only” effective method.
Check that the answer matches the specific days mentioned
The passage talks about “certain days” when fares are waived. Make sure your answer refers to effects that happen on those specific days, not just in general or on all days.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what happened in Riverton
First, restate the situation in your own words:
- Riverton made weekend bus rides free.
- As a result, weekend ridership doubled.
- Weekday ridership stayed the same (not free, no change). This suggests a connection between removing fares and higher ridership on those specific days.
Notice the role of the other cities
Next, look at what the city council adds: “other cities report similar patterns when they waive fares on certain days.”
- “Similar patterns” refers back to Riverton’s pattern: ridership up on free days, unchanged on non-free days.
- “When they waive fares on certain days” tells you the pattern is tied to those days being free, not just weekends or traffic in general. The council is using multiple examples (Riverton + other cities) to reach a general conclusion.
Predict the kind of conclusion that should fill the blank
The blank comes after “suggesting that,” so it needs to state a general trend that fits all the evidence:
- It should mention fares being removed on certain days.
- It should mention ridership changing on those same days.
- It should not go beyond what the evidence shows (for example, claiming to explain all traffic problems, or saying something happens “regardless of cost,” or “only” one method works).
Match each answer choice to the evidence
Now compare each option to what the passage actually shows:
- A) Says people are more likely to ride on weekends than weekdays regardless of cost. That conflicts with the passage, which focuses specifically on changes when fares are removed.
- C) Claims weekday traffic congestion is mostly caused by high bus fares. The passage never discusses causes of weekday congestion at all.
- D) Says free public transit is the only effective way to encourage bus use, which is much stronger than the limited evidence given.
- B) States that removing fares on specific days tends to lead to an increase in ridership on those days, which exactly matches the pattern in Riverton and in the other cities.
Therefore, the correct completion is: “removing fares on specific days tends to lead to an increase in ridership on those days.”