Question 40·Easy·Inferences
A city ran a month-long pilot program eliminating bus fares on Saturdays and Sundays. During that month, weekend bus ridership rose by 40 percent, while weekday ridership remained unchanged. City officials stated that the increase showed many people chose the bus over driving when it was free.
The information most strongly suggests that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT Reading & Writing inference completion questions, first restate the key facts and identify any clear cause-and-effect relationships the passage describes. Then, for each answer, ask whether it is directly supported by those facts or whether it adds new, unstated information; quickly eliminate choices that introduce topics the passage never mentions (like different modes of transport or side effects on timing) and choose the one that is a natural, modest conclusion from the given change and its result.
Hints
Focus on what changed
Identify what specific policy changed in the pilot program and when (weekends vs. weekdays). Then connect that change to what happened to ridership.
Use the officials’ interpretation
The officials explain why they think ridership increased. Pay close attention to what they say caused people to choose the bus during the pilot month.
Eliminate options that add new topics
Look for answer choices that bring in ideas the passage never mentions (like trains, awareness of service, or bus stop timing). Those are less likely to be supported by the information given.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate what the passage tells you
First, summarize the key facts in your own words:
- The city made weekend buses free for one month.
- During that month, weekend bus ridership went up by 40%.
- Weekday ridership did not change.
- City officials said this shows many people chose the bus over driving when it was free.
The question asks what the information most strongly suggests, so you need to infer the most reasonable conclusion based on these facts.
Identify the cause-and-effect relationship
Ask: What changed, and what result followed that change?
- The only change mentioned is that weekend fares were eliminated.
- The result was a big increase in weekend bus ridership, but no change on weekdays (where fares stayed the same).
- Officials connect these two: they say the increased riding happened because the bus was free.
So the passage is pointing you toward a relationship between having to pay a fare and how many people choose to ride.
Test each answer against the passage
Now check each option and ask, “Does the passage clearly support this?”
- Some choices bring in new ideas the passage never mentions (like how long buses stay at stops, or whether people prefer trains, or whether drivers knew buses existed).
- Only one choice focuses on the effect of the fare itself on weekend riders, which is exactly what changed and what the officials are talking about.
The best completion is the one that says the earlier requirement to pay on weekends kept some people from riding—meaning previous weekend bus fares discouraged some potential riders.