Question 29·Medium·Inferences
Five years ago, the city transit agency cut several late-night bus routes, expecting rideshare services to cover most off-peak travel. Recently, however, agency data show that buses operating before sunrise are consistently at capacity, and neighborhood councils have requested additional pre-dawn trips specifically to connect workers to airport shifts.
This suggests that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For 'This suggests that...' or 'Which choice most logically completes the text?' questions, first underline the concrete facts given, then ask yourself what simple, reasonable conclusion someone in the passage would draw from those facts. Eliminate any answer that introduces new topics (like prices, future plans, or broad generalizations) that the passage never mentions, and favor the choice that restates or slightly extends the given information without going beyond it.
Hints
Locate the key details
Focus on the most recent information: buses operating before sunrise are full, and neighborhood councils are asking for more pre-dawn trips to connect workers to airport shifts.
Interpret the phrase 'This suggests that'
A 'suggests that' question is asking what conclusion you can reasonably draw from the facts provided, without introducing new topics that the passage never mentions.
Match choices to the evidence, not your guesses
Ask for each option: Does the passage directly support this idea using the details about pre-dawn buses and airport workers, or does it add new ideas like prices, overall preferences, or future plans?
Watch for overly broad or speculative claims
Be cautious of answers that talk about 'most residents,' 'all times of day,' or predictions about future plans if the passage only describes a specific time period or situation.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The sentence ends with 'This suggests that _____.' You are being asked to complete the sentence with a conclusion that logically follows from the information given in the passage. The correct completion must be supported by the details in the paragraph, not by outside guesses.
Identify the key evidence in the passage
Pull out the important facts:
- Five years ago, the city cut several late-night bus routes, expecting rideshare to handle off-peak travel.
- Recently, buses operating before sunrise are consistently full (at capacity).
- Neighborhood councils have requested additional pre-dawn trips specifically to connect workers to airport shifts. These details are about heavy use of early-morning buses and a need to get workers to airport jobs at those hours.
Decide what kind of conclusion fits
The conclusion should:
- Be directly tied to early-morning (pre-dawn) buses.
- Involve workers going to airport shifts, since that is mentioned explicitly.
- Explain why the buses are full and why more trips are being requested, without adding new, unrelated ideas. Any choice that talks about something else (like citywide prices, all times of day, or airport future plans) goes beyond what the text supports.
Check each answer choice against the evidence
Now test each option:
- Choice B talks about rideshare prices increasing; the passage never mentions prices.
- Choice C makes a big claim that most residents prefer public transit over rideshare at all times of day; the passage only discusses a specific early-morning situation.
- Choice D claims the airport plans to expand overnight operations; the passage does not say anything about airport plans, only current worker shifts.
- One choice clearly echoes the idea that crowded pre-dawn buses and requests for more airport-connecting trips mean people are depending on those buses for those jobs. That choice is A) many residents rely on early-morning buses to reach jobs such as airport shifts.