The Library Reservation Deadline
Ken is a second-year student at a junior high school in Kagoshima. He must write a three-page report on Japanese folk tales. The report is due next Wednesday. On Monday after school, he talks to the school librarian. 'I need the book Japanese Folk Tales for Beginners,' he says. The librarian checks the computer. 'All three copies are out. One copy is due back this Friday. I can reserve it for you. We hold reservations until Monday at 5:00 p.m.; after that, the book goes to the next student.' Ken has soccer practice every day after school until 6:00 p.m. The library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. Ken's family will visit his grandmother in Ibusuki on Saturday afternoon, so he will leave home at 1:00 p.m. He has no money to buy the book.
1. Can Ken borrow the reserved book in time to use it for the report? Explain the timeline.
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Reasoning: The copy is due back Friday. If it returns on time, the reservation can be picked up on Saturday morning. Ken has no after-school chance on weekdays because practice ends at 6:00 and the library closes at 5:30. Sunday is closed. Saturday morning is the only workable slot before the Monday 5:00 p.m. deadline.
Answer: Yes, if the copy comes back on Friday. Ken should go to the library on Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and noon, before leaving for Ibusuki at 1:00 p.m. He can then use the book on Saturday evening and Sunday and finish the report by Wednesday.
2. What should Ken do if he cannot pick up the book by Monday at 5:00 p.m.?
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Reasoning: Waiting until Monday after school will not work: soccer ends at 6:00 and the library closes at 5:30. The reservation is canceled at 5:00 p.m. Monday, so Ken must act before that deadline rather than after it.
Answer: He should speak to the librarian before Monday afternoon. He can ask whether another copy is available, whether the reservation can be extended, or whether he can request the book through another library. If none of those work, he should choose a different folk-tale book that is available and tell his teacher about the change.
3. Why is Monday after school a poor time to pick up the book?
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Reasoning: Two fixed times conflict: soccer practice ends at 6:00 p.m., while the library closes at 5:30 p.m. Also, the reservation is only held until 5:00 p.m. Monday, so even arriving at 5:30 would be too late for the reservation.
Answer: Ken cannot get to the library before it closes. Practice ends at 6:00 p.m., the library closes at 5:30 p.m., and the reservation expires at 5:00 p.m. Monday. He would arrive after both the closing time and the deadline.