Reading comprehension

The new community library opened on Monday and immediately proved popular. By Friday of its first week, more than 2,000 residents had registered for membership, far exceeding the council's forecast of 500. Based only on this passage, which statement is best supported?

• AMost residents in the town are keen readers
• BThe library's membership in its first week surpassed the council's forecast✓
• CThe library will remain popular for many years
• DThe council deliberately underestimated demand

Answer: The passage states 2,000 registered against a forecast of 500, so first-week membership exceeded the forecast; the other options add claims not given.

A bakery reports that sales of sourdough loaves rose by 30% last quarter, while sales of white sliced bread fell by 10%. Total bread sales rose overall. According to the passage, which statement is accurate?

• ATotal bread sales fell
• BWhite sliced bread sales increased last quarter
• CSourdough sales rose by 30% last quarter✓
• DSourdough is cheaper than white sliced bread

Answer: The passage directly states sourdough sales rose 30%; white sliced fell, and total sales rose.

The museum is free to enter on weekdays but charges a 5 pound admission fee at weekends. Children under 12 enter free at all times. A family with two adults and one ten-year-old visits on a Saturday. How much do they pay in total?

• A10 pounds✓
• B15 pounds
• C0 pounds
• D5 pounds

Answer: Two adults pay 5 pounds each at the weekend (10 pounds); the under-12 child enters free.

A train company introduced a new express service that cut the journey between two cities from 90 minutes to 60 minutes. Demand for tickets rose sharply, and the company added extra carriages within a month. Which statement is best supported by the passage?

• APassengers were unhappy with the old service
• BThe express service is more expensive to use than the old one
• CAll trains on the route are now express services
• DThe new service reduced the journey time by 30 minutes✓

Answer: The journey fell from 90 to 60 minutes, a 30-minute reduction; the other claims are not stated.

In a recent survey, 70% of employees said they preferred hybrid working, 20% preferred working fully in the office, and the remainder preferred working fully from home. What percentage preferred working fully from home?

• A10%✓
• B20%
• C5%
• D30%

Answer: 70% plus 20% accounts for 90%, leaving 10% who preferred working fully from home.

The charity raised 12,000 pounds at its annual gala, which was 50% more than the previous year's total. It plans to spend three-quarters of this year's amount on local food banks. How much will be spent on local food banks?

• A8,000 pounds
• B6,000 pounds
• C12,000 pounds
• D9,000 pounds✓

Answer: Three-quarters of 12,000 pounds is 9,000 pounds.

A report notes that the factory operates three shifts: morning, afternoon, and night. The night shift produces the fewest units because fewer staff are scheduled, while the morning shift produces the most. The afternoon shift falls between the two. Which shift produces the second-highest number of units?

• ANight
• BMorning
• CAll produce the same
• DAfternoon✓

Answer: Morning produces most and night the fewest, so the afternoon shift is second-highest.

The council announced that recycling rates in the district had reached 55%, up from 45% the year before. It set a target of 65% for the following year. By how many percentage points did the recycling rate need to rise to meet the new target?

• A15 points
• B5 points
• C10 points✓
• D20 points

Answer: The rate is 55% and the target is 65%, a rise of 10 percentage points.

A software firm employs 400 people. Of these, 60% work in engineering, 25% in sales, and the rest in administration. How many people work in administration?

• A40
• B60✓
• C100
• D150

Answer: Engineering and sales account for 85%, leaving 15% of 400, which is 60 people, in administration.

The article explains that the coastal village relies almost entirely on tourism, which peaks in July and August. During winter, many shops close and unemployment rises. The local council is now encouraging year-round attractions to stabilise the economy. What is the main concern described in the passage?

• AThe village receives too many tourists during the winter months
• BShops are too expensive in summer
• CThe council wants to ban tourism
• DThe village's economy is seasonal and unstable in winter✓

Answer: The passage describes seasonal tourism causing winter closures and unemployment, which the council wants to address.

A study found that students who slept at least eight hours scored, on average, 15% higher on tests than those who slept fewer than six hours. The study did not measure students sleeping between six and eight hours. Which conclusion is best supported?

• AStudents who slept about seven hours a night scored the lowest of all the groups the study measured
• BSleep has no effect at all on how well students perform in their tests, whatever the subject being tested
• CSleeping for more than eight hours a night always improves a student's test scores still further than that
• DStudents sleeping at least eight hours averaged higher scores than those sleeping under six hours✓

Answer: The study only compared the two named groups; nothing is established about seven-hour sleepers or causation beyond the reported average.

The memo states that all staff must complete fire-safety training by the end of March. Those who fail to do so will lose building access until the training is completed. A staff member completes the training on 2 April. According to the memo, what happens?

• ANothing changes for them
• BThey lose building access until they complete the training, which they then do✓
• CThey are dismissed immediately
• DThey are exempt because April counts as the start of an entirely new training year

Answer: Missing the March deadline triggers loss of access until completion; completing on 2 April satisfies that condition.

A region's annual rainfall has increased over the past decade, leading to more frequent flooding in low-lying areas. In response, the authorities built new flood defences, after which reported flood damage fell by 40%. Which statement is best supported by the passage?

• ALow-lying areas are now uninhabited
• BFlood damage fell after the defences were built✓
• CThe flood defences eliminated flooding in the region completely
• DRainfall has decreased over the decade

Answer: The passage states damage fell by 40% after the defences were built; it does not claim flooding was eliminated.

The company's policy allows employees 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays. Unused leave cannot be carried into the next year beyond a maximum of 5 days. An employee has 8 unused days at year-end. How many of these days can be carried over?

• A0
• B3
• C5✓
• D8

Answer: The maximum carry-over is 5 days, so only 5 of the 8 unused days can be carried over.

A press release claims a new electric car can travel 300 miles on a single charge under ideal test conditions. It adds that real-world range may be lower in cold weather or at high speeds. Which conclusion is most justified?

• AThe car always travels exactly 300 miles on a single charge, whatever the weather or the driving speed
• BHigh speeds increase the car's range
• CThe 300-mile figure is a best-case test result that may not be matched in all conditions✓
• DThe car cannot be driven at all in cold weather, because in the cold its battery range falls away to nothing

Answer: The release frames 300 miles as an ideal-conditions figure and warns real-world range may be lower, so it is a best case.

The hospital opened a new wing with 120 beds, increasing its total capacity by 20%. After the expansion, what was the hospital's total bed capacity?

• A720 beds✓
• B840 beds
• C600 beds
• D960 beds

Answer: If 120 beds represent a 20% increase, the original capacity was 600, giving a new total of 720 beds.

A guidebook notes that the castle is open daily from 10am to 5pm, except on Mondays when it is closed, and that the last entry is one hour before closing. A visitor arrives at 4:30pm on a Tuesday. According to the passage, can they enter?

• ANo, because the castle is closed on Tuesdays
• BYes, but only until 5pm with no time limit
• CNo, because the last entry was at 4pm✓
• DYes, because the castle is open

Answer: Last entry is one hour before the 5pm close, i.e. 4pm; arriving at 4:30pm is too late even though the castle is open on Tuesdays.

The newsletter reports that subscriber numbers grew from 8,000 to 10,000 over a year. The editor attributes the growth mainly to a new referral scheme launched mid-year. Which statement is best supported by the passage?

• AThe referral scheme was the sole cause of all growth
• BThe newsletter has 8,000 subscribers at the end of the year
• CSubscriber numbers fell during the year covered by the newsletter
• DSubscriber numbers rose by 2,000 over the year✓

Answer: Numbers rose from 8,000 to 10,000, a gain of 2,000; the editor only says the scheme was the main, not sole, cause.

A school introduced a breakfast club, after which attendance among the lowest-income pupils improved noticeably. Teachers also reported that these pupils seemed more focused in morning lessons. Which conclusion does the passage most support?

• AThe breakfast club caused all pupils' grades to rise
• BAfter the breakfast club, attendance among the lowest-income pupils improved✓
• CBreakfast clubs are required by law
• DPupils dislike morning lessons

Answer: The passage directly links the breakfast club to improved attendance among low-income pupils; broader grade claims are not stated.

The transport survey found that 45% of commuters travel by car, 30% by train, 15% by bus, and the rest cycle or walk. What percentage of commuters cycle or walk?

• A15%
• B20%
• C10%✓
• D5%

Answer: Car, train, and bus account for 90%, leaving 10% who cycle or walk.

A retailer offers a 20% discount on all jackets during a sale. A jacket originally priced at 80 pounds is bought during the sale. What is the sale price?

• A60 pounds
• B56 pounds
• C64 pounds✓
• D72 pounds

Answer: A 20% discount on 80 pounds removes 16 pounds, leaving a sale price of 64 pounds.

The report states that the river's water quality improved after a nearby factory installed new filtration equipment. However, it also notes that rainfall that year was unusually high, which can dilute pollutants. Which statement best reflects the passage?

• AThe factory was forced to close
• BThe unusually heavy rainfall that year made the river's water quality noticeably worse
• CThe filtration equipment was definitely the only reason the water quality improved
• DWater quality improved, but the passage gives more than one possible reason✓

Answer: The passage offers both the filtration equipment and high rainfall as possible contributing factors, so no single cause is certain.

A company sells a product in three sizes: small, medium, and large. The medium size accounts for half of all sales. The small and large sizes share the remaining sales equally. What fraction of total sales does the large size represent?

• AOne quarter✓
• BOne fifth
• COne half
• DOne third

Answer: Medium is half of sales; the remaining half splits equally between small and large, giving large one quarter.

The passage explains that a vaccine reduced the incidence of a disease by 80% in vaccinated groups compared with unvaccinated groups in a trial. It cautions that the trial ran for only six months. Which conclusion is most justified?

• AThe vaccine eliminates the disease permanently in every person who receives a single dose
• BUnvaccinated people cannot catch the disease at all once a trial has been completed
• CIn the trial, vaccinated groups had 80% lower incidence than unvaccinated groups✓
• DThe vaccine works for at least ten years

Answer: The 80% reduction is what the trial measured; the six-month caveat means longer-term claims are unsupported.

A delivery firm guarantees next-day delivery for orders placed before 2pm; orders placed after 2pm are delivered the day after next. A customer places an order at 3pm on Monday. According to the passage, when is it delivered?

• AMonday
• BWednesday✓
• CThursday
• DTuesday

Answer: An order after 2pm on Monday is delivered the day after next, which is Wednesday.