Road congestion has grown by 37 percent, and as people switch from

Question

Road congestion has grown by 37 percent, and as people switch from private cars to public transport, the total distance traveled by rail is expected to increase 60 percent. Despite the obvious increase in demand for space on our roads and trains, governments are failing to match forecast growth with investment in either mode of transport. In the 10 worst areas, the problems are already chronic, with immediate investment needed if sufficient capacity is to be created to cope with future demand. In these areas, new roads and tracks and longer platforms that can handle longer trains are already needed to relieve bottlenecks, congestion and severe overcrowding during peak hours. Despite demand, there are no plans to expand road and rail networks significantly and, indeed, closures and cuts in funding are on the agenda. The paucity of public investment raises considerable doubts that those few projects that are currently supported by government will ever be completed because ministers are refusing to say how much public money they will receive.    1 
 1. Which of the following statements can you infer to be true?

A. People are giving up their cars to undertake journeys by train.
B. Rail passengers face a bleak future of overcrowding and more expensive journeys.
C. Road use has grown by 37 percent and rail use by 60 percent.
D. Despite increased demand there are no plans to increase road and rail networks significantly.
E. As road congestion has grown, the total distance traveled by rail has increased.

2 
 2. It is hard to arrive at any other conclusion than travelers face a bleak future of:

A. overcrowded networks, slower journey times and higher fares
B. congestion, bottlenecks and overcrowding
C. congestion, overcrowded networks and higher fares
D. overcrowding, congestion and even slower journey times
E. slower journey times and higher fares

3 
 3. In the context of the passage, the word paucity means:

A. the small amount of rail investment
B. the diminutive public investment in the expansion of the railway
C. the presence of something in only immense quantities
D. the low level of public investment
E. the presence of something in only diminutive quantities

4 
 4. In the worst 10 areas, immediate investment is already needed:

A. because the problem there is already chronic
B. because during peak periods they suffer bottlenecks, congestion and severe overcrowding
C. if the infrastructure is to cope with future demand
D. if they are to build the extra rail tracks, roads and longer train platforms
E. before people can switch from private to public transport

5 
 5. It can be inferred from the passage that:

A. There was a greater demand for rail travel than travel by private car.
B. Governments were in favor of people switching from cars to public transport.
C. There is every indication that governments were against people switching modes of transport.
D. Governments were undermining the switch from private to public transport by failing to invest in transport networks.
E. Governments were doing little in practical terms to encourage people to switch from cars to public transport.

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 71 Date: 17-Feb-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

Source: How to pass the GMAT

VipinGupta · Answer

Plz Explain Q 1 & 5. In Q 1 Both A and D look Correct and in the Last Question Why not D or A though all options are in Past tense?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. Which of the following statements can you infer to be true?

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

The passage states that people are switching from private cars to public transport, and trains are one form of public transport.  D  is explicitly stated in the passage so cannot be inferred.

C  and  E  fail because the increase in congestion has already occurred, while the increase in train journey miles is forecasted.

B  can, in part, be inferred from the lack of funding, i.e., one could infer that the rail service would deteriorate as more people switched to rail from cars, but whether the cost of journeys will increase cannot be inferred.

Answer: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

5. It can be inferred from the passage that:

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

The passage makes it clear that governments were investing little in any form of transport and so, in practical terms, were doing little to encourage people to switch. We cannot infer if government was in favor of people switching or not.

Answer: E

parasgoyal1802 · Answer

CAN you explain in the q4 why option A is eliminated? I am confused between option A & c...

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

4. In the worst 10 areas, immediate investment is already needed:

Difficulty Level:   Medium

Explanation

A careful reading of the passage shows that the problems are already chronic in these areas, but the investment is required so that future demand can be met.

Answer: C

thakurarun85 · Answer

Why D is wrong?

thakurarun85 · Answer

In Q3 why option E is wrong?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

The wrong cause and effect in D make it wrong. D says that because the government was failing in investing in transport networks it failed to switch people from private to public transport.

Cause: Government failure to invest in the transport network
Effect: It failed in bringing people from private to public transport.

D. Governments were undermining the switch from private to public transport by failing to invest in transport networks.

ShaikhMoice · Answer

How come Paucity in itself can mean low level of public investment.
Why E is incorrect.
TIA

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. In the context of the passage, the word paucity means:

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation:

The word  "paucity"  refers to a scarcity or insufficiency of something. In this passage, it is used to describe the insufficient or inadequate level of public investment in either road or rail transportation despite the growing demand and congestion issues. The passage discusses how governments are failing to match the forecasted growth in demand with the necessary investment in transportation infrastructure. The usage of  "paucity"  here implies that there is a lack of adequate funding or investment in both road and rail networks, which is leading to problems such as bottlenecks, congestion, and overcrowding.

Answer: D

Note:   This is a GRE-Only question.

RiyaJ0032 · Answer

Hi  Sajjad1994

could you clarify why cant we infer that cost of train journeys will increase (b)

it's given demand is increasing but supply is not, from this we can infer cost to increase

on the other hand, (A) is explicitly stated, its not an inference " as people switch from private cars to public transport"

if some expert could please provide their insights!

@Dmitryfarber 
 @Martymurray 
 @Gmatninjatwo 
 @GmatguruNY 
 @KarishmaB

RiyaJ0032 · Answer

Sajjad1994

in that case, even (B) demonstrates the same intention

why is that wrong then?

Road congestion has grown by 37 percent, and as people switch from

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Road congestion has grown by 37 percent, and as people switch from

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