Reading: The Car-Free Weekend Article
A student is practising the reading section with this short article from a local English-language news site. The article reports that the city centre will hold a car-free weekend on 10–11 May. Shops on Viru Street say deliveries will be difficult; the transport official replies that cargo bikes will be available and that 60 parking spaces will become temporary seating. The article ends: ‘Not everyone is convinced. One shop owner called the plan ‘a nice idea for people who do not have to carry a fridge’.’ The exam question asks: What is the author’s attitude toward the car-free weekend? The student chooses ‘strongly opposed’ because of the quotation. In review, the student must explain the choice, use evidence from the whole text, and decide how the final quotation affects the tone.
1. The student's answer is 'strongly opposed'. Explain why this is not the best choice, and state a more accurate description of the author's attitude.
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The quotation is from a shop owner, not from the author; the author introduces it with 'Not everyone is convinced', which signals that opposition exists rather than that the author shares it. The article also reports the transport official's practical reply about cargo bikes and 60 parking spaces becoming seating, so the text is balanced. A better description is 'neutral and reportorial, with mild scepticism about the plan's practicalities' or 'balanced, giving both support and concerns'. 'Strongly opposed' would require the author to use hostile wording or to endorse the shop owner's criticism; here the author merely reports it.
2. What is the function of the shop owner's quotation in the text?
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It illustrates a concrete concern about deliveries, adds a human and slightly humorous voice, and creates a sceptical final note. It does not prove the author's attitude because one quotation from one shop owner is limited evidence. In a reading answer, it is best described as a counterpoint that keeps the article balanced, not as the main idea.
3. Which detail best supports the claim that organisers made practical arrangements? Explain why the other details are weaker.
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The best detail is the transport official's response: cargo bikes will be available and 60 parking spaces will become temporary seating. These are concrete arrangements that address the delivery and space concerns. The shop owners' complaints show concern but not arrangements. The final quotation is opinion and humour. The date 10–11 May only gives the event time; it does not show planning. So the official's reply is the strongest evidence.