An inference question tests whether you can draw a conclusion that the text supports. Read the words before the blank to see what the ending needs. When the text gives someone’s comments at different times, put each comment in a few words and compare what the person says. Then predict the smallest conclusion the clues support, keeping it within that person’s view. Wrong choices often add claims the text doesn’t give you.
Hints
- Hint 1
Look at Espinoza’s description in each year. What does each description tell you about her reaction to the soup?
- Hint 2
Put the two reviews in date order. What change in her opinion do they show?
Step-by-step
Compare the two reviews
Step 1Read the first judgment
In 2020, Espinoza described the soup as “unremarkably bland.” What does that tell us about her opinion? The word bland means lacking flavor, so her first review is negative. The blank asks what follows in Espinoza’s view, so we need to follow her opinion rather than decide what all diners thought.
- Step 2
Read the later judgment
What does the 2023 review add? Espinoza now calls the same soup “rich, balanced, and worthy of any gourmet menu.” She praises its flavor and says it’s good enough for a gourmet menu, so her later judgment is strongly positive.
- Step 3
Draw the smallest conclusion
Now compare the reviews in date order. What small conclusion follows from a negative review in 2020 and strong praise in 2023? Espinoza thought the soup had become much better, because she moved from criticizing its flavor to praising its flavor and quality. The choice saying improved considerably between 2020 and 2023 matches that change in her view. Choice B.