Reading a Notice With an Exception Clause
In the reading section you are given a short Serbian notice from a municipal library. The notice says the library is open every day from 9:00 to 20:00, except on public holidays, when it closes at 14:00. It also says that from 1 July to 15 August the reading room is closed for renovation, but book borrowing continues at the front desk. Members may borrow up to five books for 21 days, and renew once by phone. A separate line says that during the renovation, returns must be made at the side entrance. The questions ask: what time does the library close on a public holiday, can you borrow books on 10 July, how long can you keep a book if you renew, and where do you return books in July. You must answer in English.
1. How should you answer the closing-time and borrowing questions without over-reading the notice?
Read the worked answer
Answer strictly from the stated conditions. On a public holiday the notice gives 14:00, so that is the answer; do not substitute the usual 20:00. For 10 July, the reading room closure does not stop borrowing, because the notice explicitly says borrowing continues at the front desk, so the answer is yes, you can borrow books, though not use the reading room. The trap is assuming that a closed reading room means a closed library. The judgement being tested is distinguishing the main service from an affected sub-service. Keep answers concise and tie each one to the clause that supports it, for example 'yes, because the notice says borrowing continues during the renovation'. Do not add conditions the notice does not state, such as requiring a reservation.
2. How should you handle the renewal and returns questions?
Read the worked answer
For renewal, the notice gives a base loan of 21 days and one renewal, so the total is 42 days if the renewal is used; state the assumption that the renewal is granted by phone. If the question asks only how long one loan lasts, answer 21 days. Read the wording carefully, because 'if you renew' changes the figure. For returns in July, the answer is the side entrance, because the notice says returns must be made there during the renovation. The reasoning is that time-limited instructions override the general front-desk arrangement for the stated period. A common error is answering 'front desk' from the borrowing sentence. Separate borrowing from returning: borrowing stays at the front desk, returning moves to the side entrance. That distinction is the point of the question.