Practice --> Part 7: Reading Comprehension 2


Read the passages and choose the correct answer:

Questions below refer to the following article and table.

 

Dunnlow to Deliver New Trains for Gaelic Railways

By Briana MacCorrie

 

Gaelic Railways (GR), the national railway, announced yesterday that it has entered into a contract with train manufacturer Dunnlow for the purchase of fourteen new electric trains. The decision by GR's management came after a test run from Rexford to Donnebrook revealed that the new trains can cover the 45 kilometers separating the two towns in half the time it takes GR's current trains.

The new trains will gradually replace those currently in service, introduced by GR 25 years ago. The railway company had originally intended to complete the project in a 5-year span so as to let the last phase of the transition coincide with the end of the 30-year life expectancy of GR's current fleet.

However, company officials were so excited by the performance of the Dunnlow trains that the decision was made to pull all current trains from the tracks within 3 years. They plan to upgrade the longest routes first, beginning with the distances longer than 100 kilometers.

Negotiations between GR and Dunnlow have been going on for nearly 2 years. The lengthy duration of the talks was mostly due to reluctance on the part of the government to help fund the project. Says Shane O'Farrel, GR's spokesperson, "We had difficulty convincing the authorities that buying new, faster trains, while expensive, was a worthwhile investment. Gradually, however, the government realized that adequate transportation is indispensable for the continued development and prosperity of the region."

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GAELIC RAILWAYS

Service

Distance

Former Duration

New Length of Trip

Rossmoor — Kilbarney

Weston — Barlow

Southford — Kirke

Rexford — Donnebrook

74 km

162 km

80 km

45 km

1 hour and 30 minutes

2 hours and 30 minutes

1 hour and 40 minutes

1 hour and 8 minutes

44 minutes

1 hour and 25 minutes

53 minutes

34 minutes


1. How long have the current trains been in service?
A. 14 years
B. 30 years
C. 25 years
D. 3 years
Explain:
  A. The current trains have not been in service for 14 years.
  B. 30 years is given as the life expectancy of the current trains, not the time they have been in service.
  C. The article states that the trains currently in service were introduced 25 years ago, so they have been in service 25 years.
  D. 3 years is the time within which all the current trains will be taken out of service, not the time they have been in service.


2. Why has the schedule been moved up?
A. Passengers wrote to government officials.
B. The manufacturer offered reduced rates.
C. Company executives were impressed by the trains.
D. The population of the area has increased.
Explain:
  A. The article does not mention letters from passengers to government officials.
  B. There is no mention of reduced rates from the manufacturer.
  C. According to the article, company officials, or executives, were very excited by the performance of the new trains, so they were impressed. Because of this, the new trains will be introduced in three years, not five years.
  D. A population increase is not given as a reason for moving up the schedule.


3. Why did it take a long time to get the new trains approved?
A. The expense was questioned.
B. The region's power supply was not sufficient.
C. The design was not finalized.
D. The company appointed a new president.
Explain:
  A. According to the article, there were long talks with the government because the government was reluctant to, or did not want to, help fund the project. The railway spokesperson implies that the government thought buying the new trains would be too expensive.
  B. There is no mention of a power supply problem.
  C. No problem with finalizing the design is mentioned.
  D. The article does not mention the appointment of a new president.


4. What does Mr. O′Farrel imply about the region′s economic growth?
A. It will be difficult to sustain in the future.
B. It will depend on foreign investment.
C. It will benefit from an improved transportation system.
D. It will be slow but steady.
Explain:
  A. Mr. O'Farrel does not imply that the region's economic growth will be difficult to sustain.
  B. Mr. O'Farrel does not imply that foreign investment is needed to help the region's economy grow.
  C. Mr. O'Farrel says the government realized an adequate transportation system was indispensable for the continued development and prosperity of the region. Indispensable for means essential for, so he implies that good transportation will help the region's economic growth.
  D. He does not talk about the pace at which the region's economy will grow.


5. Which train route will be upgraded first?
A. Southford - Kirke
B. Rossmoor - Kilbarney
C. Rexford – Donnebrook
D. Weston - Barlow
Explain:
  A. The Southford – Kirke route shown in the table is shorter than Weston to Barlow, so this choice is incorrect.
  B. The Rossmoor – Kilbarney route shown in the table is shorter than Weston to Barlow, so this choice is incorrect.
  C. The Rexford – Donnebrook route shown in the table is shorter than Weston to Barlow, so this choice is incorrect.
  D. The article states that GR will upgrade the longest routes first. From the table, it can be seen that the Weston to Barlow route, at 162 kilometers, is the longest.
Total: 60 page(s)
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