The Reading Passage Inference
A passage describes a town that built a new bridge in 1998. Traffic across the old bridge had doubled between 1990 and 1997, and the old bridge was rated 'structurally deficient' in 1996. After the new bridge opened, traffic on the old bridge dropped by 70 percent, and the town's accident rate at the river crossing fell from 14 per year to 4 per year. The passage never states why the accident rate fell. A question asks: 'The passage most strongly suggests that the drop in accidents was primarily due to which of the following?' The answer choices include (A) fewer cars using the old bridge, (B) better road signs, (C) stricter speed limits, and (D) improved weather.
1. Which choice does the passage support, and why are the others not supported?
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(A) Fewer cars using the old bridge. The passage gives a 70 percent traffic drop and an accident drop at the same crossing. The only change described is the shift of traffic to the new bridge. (B) and (C) introduce causes never mentioned. (D) is unrelated to the bridge. The question asks what the passage suggests, so the supported inference is the one tied to stated evidence: less traffic on the deficient bridge plausibly means fewer accidents there.
2. A student argues that because the passage never says 'fewer cars caused fewer accidents,' choice A is also unsupported. How would you respond?
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The student is applying the wrong standard. 'Most strongly suggests' asks for the best-supported inference, not a stated fact. The passage supplies a mechanism (traffic fell 70 percent) and an outcome (accidents fell) at the same location and time. Choice A is the only option that connects stated evidence to the outcome. The others require information the passage does not provide. An inference can be supported without being explicitly stated - that is what inference means.