Question 79·Easy·Inferences
The local library extended its evening hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning in January. Librarian Ortiz reports that monthly visitor numbers have increased by nearly 40 percent since the change, stating, "Clearly, closing later has made the library more accessible to our community."
This suggests that Ortiz believes ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For “This suggests that [person] believes…” completion questions, first restate in your own words what the person is assuming or concluding (often a cause-and-effect or opinion). Then scan the choices and eliminate any that (1) contradict the passage’s facts or tone, (2) introduce new, unsupported ideas, or (3) address issues the speaker never mentioned. Choose the option that captures the implied belief most directly without adding extra information.
Hints
Look at the change and the result
Focus on what changed in January and what happened afterward. How do the new hours relate to the visitor numbers?
Interpret Ortiz’s conclusion
Ortiz says, "Clearly, closing later has made the library more accessible." What relationship is she suggesting between staying open later and the increase in visitors?
Eliminate choices that add new ideas
Check each answer choice: does it introduce topics like book selection or cost savings that are not mentioned? Or does it contradict the positive tone about extended hours?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the key facts in the passage
First, note the two important pieces of information:
- The library extended evening hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. starting in January.
- Since this change, monthly visitor numbers have increased by nearly 40 percent.
Then, look at Ortiz's statement: "Clearly, closing later has made the library more accessible to our community." She is drawing a conclusion from these facts.
Understand the implied cause-and-effect
Ortiz observes that after the hours were extended, visitor numbers went up. From this, she concludes that "closing later" is what made the library more accessible. In other words, she is treating the change in hours as the main reason for the increase in visitors, not just a coincidence.
Match the belief to an answer choice
Now compare that implied cause-and-effect idea with the choices:
- She is not saying people prefer shorter hours (that would contradict the situation).
- She never mentions book selection as a reason for past behavior.
- She does not suggest reducing hours to save money; she is actually supporting longer hours.
The only choice that matches her belief that the change in hours led to the rise in visitors is A) the increase in visitors was primarily caused by the extended hours.