The library's late-night study zone
Read this extract from a local newspaper article and answer the questions that follow. 'When the Riverside Library announced it would open a late-night study zone until 11 p.m., the reaction was not uniformly positive. Some residents predicted noise and litter; one councillor called the plan "a costly gimmick". Three months on, the figures tell a quieter story. Attendance by 16- to 18-year-olds has risen by 42%, and the library reports fewer unsupervised groups in the shopping centre after school. The scheme costs about £18,000 a year, roughly the price of two part-time staff. Not everyone is convinced: the councillor still describes the late opening as "a solution in search of a problem", though she concedes that "the litter has not materialised". The library's manager argues that the zone is not a substitute for youth services but a modest, measurable improvement.' A candidate answers: 'The writer is completely in favour of the scheme.' The teacher marks it as too simple.
1. Explain why 'completely in favour' is an inaccurate description of the writer's attitude. Use two phrases from the extract.
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'Completely in favour' ignores the article's structure. The opening says the reaction 'was not uniformly positive', which signals that the writer will report opposition. The writer then uses 'a quieter story' before presenting figures - 'quieter' suggests a measured, evidence-based tone, not enthusiasm. The closing phrase 'a modest, measurable improvement' is deliberately restrained: 'modest' limits the claim, and 'measurable' values evidence over emotion. The writer also gives the councillor space to concede that 'the litter has not materialised', which is a balanced move. A better description is 'cautiously supportive' or 'broadly positive but balanced'. The candidate's answer is too simple because it converts a nuanced attitude into a binary label and ignores the concessive language. In this paper, attitude questions usually require a qualifier plus textual evidence.
2. What does the councillor's phrase 'a solution in search of a problem' imply, and how does her concession 'the litter has not materialised' affect her credibility?
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The phrase implies that the scheme is unnecessary: it presents the late-night zone as an answer to a problem that the councillor believes does not exist. 'In search of' suggests the library invented a need rather than responding to one. The concession 'the litter has not materialised' matters because it removes one of the opponents' concrete objections. It makes the councillor look fair-minded and slightly weakens her own position: if the predicted harm has not occurred, her criticism rests more on cost and principle than on evidence. For a reading answer, the point is not whether she is right but how the two statements work together. The phrase is figurative and critical; the concession is literal and qualifying. A strong answer notes both the criticism and the limit she places on it.
3. A question asks: 'What evidence suggests the scheme has had an effect beyond the library?' What is the best answer, and why is 'attendance rose by 42%' alone insufficient?
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Best answer: 'fewer unsupervised groups in the shopping centre after school'. That is the only outcome located outside the library building. 'Attendance rose by 42%' measures use of the late-night zone itself, so it is inside the scheme, not beyond it. It shows the scheme is popular, not that it has changed behaviour elsewhere. The question's phrase 'beyond the library' is a location clue; candidates who answer with the 42% figure are answering 'What shows the scheme is successful?' rather than the question asked. A good response should quote or paraphrase the shopping-centre detail and explain the distinction. If the question asks for one piece of evidence, adding the 42% as a second point may waste time and blur the answer; if it asks for two, the 42% can be used only with the caveat that it is internal evidence.