Over the past three years, fees for parking automobiles in Shemerton’s

The passage discusses a change that has occurred. Over the course of three years, the use of public transportation in Shemerton has decreased.

The question asks for the information that most helps to explain what underlies that change.

Let's consider B first.

B. Many people who live in the Shemerton area do not consider the cost savings achieved via using public transportation worth the hassles of using public transportation.

Does B mention something that would explain a change? Not really. In saying that many people don't find the cost savings achieved via using public transportation worth the hassle, B might explain why the use of public transportation did not increase, or B might explain why not everyone uses public transportation in Shemerton. So, B explains the LEVEL of use of public transportation, but B does not explain the DECREASE in use over the past three years.

We need a choice that explains why things changed.

Now let's consider C.

C. In the Shemerton area, people’s ability to afford to purchase and maintain automobiles was hampered by an economic recession that ended three years ago.

C mentions something that changed three years ago. Three years ago the recession that was hampering people's ability to afford the purchase or maintenance of automobiles ended. It makes sense that once that recession ended, people's ability to purchase and maintain automobiles would have increased. While it is not clear that as a result people began to use automobiles more than they had during the recession, this choice does describe a change that occurred three years ago that could underlie the decrease in use of public transportation.

Therefore, the best answer is C.

Dear MartyMurray

Why A is wrong? This could help explain that the new routs serves low population and hence decreased the number of passengers.

Could you help please?

The question: Which of the following does the most to explain the surprising trend in public transportation use in the Shemerton area?

The "surprising trend" is a decrease in the number of people using public transportation in Shemerton.

So, in order to correctly answer the question, we need a choice that describes a factor that could result in a decrease in the number people using public transportation.

Now, let's carefully consider choice A.

A. The new bus routes were added in areas in and around Shemerton in which the population densities are relatively low.

What we now have to ask ourselves is whether adding new bus routes would cause a decrease.

The answer, is NO.

Adding new bus routes would have only have two possible results.

It would MAKE NO DIFFERENCE in the number of people using public transportation, or it would RESULT IN AN INCREASE in the number of people using public transportation.

Adding new routes would not cause a decrease in the number of people using public transportation, even if the routes were in areas in which the population densities were relatively low. The buses travelling on those routes may not have many riders, but, as long as they have some riders, adding those routes would result in an increase in the number of people using public transportation in Shemerton.

So, why does A seem correct?

A is a trap answer. A is written to give the impression that it could explain the decrease in the number of people using public transportation. A test-taker can notice that A says that the new bus routes are in areas in which the population densities are relatively low, decide that the buses travelling on those routes won't have many passengers, and go from that conclusion to deciding that adding the new routes could cause the entire system to have few passengers.

However, that train of thought is not logical, as having few passengers on the new routes does not somehow cause the rest of the system to lose passengers, and so, A is not really a correct answer.

A key to getting CR questions right is avoiding falling for the false logic of trap answers.

Thanks Marty for the high quality question and the thorough explanation.

But just a question: Do you plan to launch those questions that you post in combination with a TTP verbal course? I saw TTP beta for a while.

Yes, most of those questions, or versions of them, are going to be in the new verbal portion of TTP.

C is clearly the answer, but I did not choose C b/ I only read half of the option choice.
At the same time, I know that all other options are wrong.
B is just the general opinion of people while A does not help to explain the situation.

Yes! Many people miss this one because they get halfway through (C) and decide that it's not correct.

Such a tricky question. The only reason I could come to the conclusion that C is the best option was that all other choices were not in any way shape or form decreasing the numbers in public transportation. then at first glance C looks totally irrelevant, and that’s where it gets you.

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I will admit that I didn't read the C option as on the half way it felt wrong but the reasoning I used for option B was that after considering that it's not worth it people would have stopped using the public transport (this tells us why it doesn't increase and also why it is decreasing)