Direction Find the statement that must be true according to the given information.
1.

Vincent has a paper route. Each morning, he delivers 37 newspapers to customers in his neighborhood. It takes Vincent 50 minutes to deliver all the papers. If Vincent is sick or has other plans, his friend Thomas, who lives on the same street, will sometimes deliver the papers for him.


A. Vincent and Thomas live in the same neighborhood.
B. It takes Thomas more than 50 minutes to deliver the papers.
C. It is dark outside when Vincent begins his deliveries.
D. Thomas would like to have his own paper route.
Answer: A

Explanation: The fact that Vincent and Thomas live on the same street indicates that they live in the same neighborhood. There is no support for any of the other choices.





2.

The Pacific yew is an evergreen tree that grows in the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific yew has a fleshy, poisonous fruit. Recently, taxol, a substance found in the bark of the Pacific yew, was discovered to be a promising new anticancer drug.


A. Taxol is poisonous when taken by healthy people.
B. Taxol has cured people from various diseases.
C. People should not eat the fruit of the Pacific yew.
D. The Pacific yew was considered worthless until taxol was discovered.
Answer: C

Explanation: Given the information presented, the only statement that could be considered true is that the fruit should not be eaten because it is poisonous. There is no support that taxol is poisonous or that taxol has cured anyone (choices a and b). There is no support for choice d.





3.

Erin is twelve years old. For three years, she has been asking her parents for a dog. Her parents have told her that they believe a dog would not be happy in an apartment, but they have given her permission to have a bird. Erin has not yet decided what kind of bird she would like to have.


A. Erin's parents like birds better than they like dogs.
B. Erin does not like birds.
C. Erin and her parents live in an apartment.
D. Erin and her parents would like to move.
Answer: C

Explanation: Since Erin's parents think a dog would not be happy in an apartment, we can reasonably conclude that the family lives in an apartment. We do not know if Erin's parents dislike dogs (choice a) or if Erin dislikes birds (choice b).There is no support for choice d.





4.

Last summer, Mike spent two weeks at a summer camp. There, he went hiking, swimming, and canoeing. This summer, Mike looks forward to attending a two-week music camp, where he hopes to sing, dance, and learn to play the guitar.


A. Mike's parents want him to learn to play the guitar.
B. Mike prefers music to outdoor activities.
C. Mike goes to some type of camp every summer.
D. Mike likes to sing and dance.
Answer: D

Explanation: It is reasonable to conclude that Mike likes singing and dancing because he looks forward to doing these things at music camp. There is no information that supports any of the other three choices.





5.

Tim's commute never bothered him because there were always seats available on the train and he was able to spend his 40 minutes comfortably reading the newspaper or catching up on paperwork. Ever since the train schedule changed, the train has been extremely crowded, and by the time the doors open at his station, there isn't a seat to be found.


A. Tim would be better off taking the bus to work.
B. Tim's commute is less comfortable since the train schedule changed.
C. Many commuters will complain about the new train schedule.
D. Tim will likely look for a new job closer to home.
Answer: B

Explanation: The passage tells us that Tim's commute didn't bother him because he was always able to sit down and comfortably read or do paperwork. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Tim's commute has become less comfortable since the schedule change, because it is very crowded and he can no longer find a seat. There is no information given that supports choices a, c, and d.