Read for meaning. Answer with evidence.

Practice passage

A town library tested a repair club in which volunteers helped residents mend small household items. The aim was to teach basic repair skills and reduce the number of items thrown away. During the three-month trial, visitors brought 120 items, and 72 were repaired. Some of the remaining items needed parts that were unavailable, while others were considered unsafe to repair. Volunteers explained each repair to the owner rather than simply doing the work out of sight. In a survey, many visitors said they felt more confident about attempting simple repairs at home. However, the survey included only people who attended the club, so it could not show whether repair habits had changed across the town. The library planned to continue the club once a month and record which types of item were hardest to repair. It did not plan to charge a fee, although donations of suitable tools were welcome. The coordinator argued that learning from an unsuccessful repair could still be useful, provided visitors understood why the item could not safely be fixed.

1. Which statement best summarises the passage?

   1. A repair club achieved some repairs and learning benefits, while recognising limits and planning further activity.
   2. A library proved that every household in town repaired more items.
   3. A repair club decided to replace all of its volunteers.
   4. A library charged residents to buy new household goods.
   5. A survey proved that unsuccessful repairs have no value.
   Answer 1 & explanation

   A. A repair club achieved some repairs and learning benefits, while recognising limits and planning further activity.

   The passage describes the club’s purpose, repairs, reported confidence, limits of the survey and plans to continue. The other options introduce claims that contradict the passage or are not mentioned.

2. How many of the 120 items were repaired during the trial?

   1. 48
   2. 120
   3. 72
   4. Three
   5. All except unsafe items
   Answer 2 & explanation

   C. 72

   The passage states that 72 items were repaired. Subtracting 72 from 120 gives the 48 not repaired, so 48 answers a different question. It does not provide a separate count for unsafe items.

3. Why could the survey not establish a change in repair habits across the town?

   1. The club charged too much.
   2. The volunteers refused to explain repairs.
   3. No one answered any questions.
   4. It included only people who attended the club.
   5. It was completed before the club opened.
   Answer 3 & explanation

   D. It included only people who attended the club.

   Only attendees were surveyed. Their responses do not establish what happened among all town residents. The passage does not say there were no responses or that the survey took place before the trial.

4. Which statement is directly supported by the passage?

   1. Every unsuccessful repair lacked a spare part.
   2. Some items were considered unsafe to repair.
   3. All visitors repaired items at home after attending.
   4. The library stopped accepting tool donations.
   5. The club was open every day.
   Answer 4 & explanation

   B. Some items were considered unsafe to repair.

   The passage explicitly states that some items were considered unsafe. Other unsuccessful repairs involved unavailable parts, so not all had the same cause. Increased confidence is not proof that everyone later repaired something.

5. Why did volunteers explain repairs to owners?

   1. To prevent owners from attending again.
   2. To justify an entry fee.
   3. To persuade owners to discard all damaged items.
   4. To replace the survey with a written test.
   5. To help owners learn rather than merely receive a repaired item.
   Answer 5 & explanation

   E. To help owners learn rather than merely receive a repaired item.

   Teaching repair skills is a stated aim, and explaining the process supports that aim. The passage contrasts explaining the work with doing it out of sight. No entry fee or written test is described.

6. In “provided visitors understood why”, provided most nearly means:

   1. on condition that
   2. gave something to
   3. even though
   4. as soon as
   5. because of
   Answer 6 & explanation

   A. on condition that

   Here provided introduces a condition: an unsuccessful repair can still teach something if visitors understand the reason it cannot safely be completed. It is not the past tense meaning “supplied”.

7. Which description best fits the passage’s overall tone?

   1. Angry about every volunteer
   2. Certain that all problems are solved
   3. Informative and cautiously positive
   4. Mocking residents who need help
   5. Entirely opposed to repair clubs
   Answer 7 & explanation

   C. Informative and cautiously positive

   The passage reports benefits while explaining the survey’s limitations and unsuccessful repairs. That balance supports an informative, cautiously positive tone rather than anger, mockery or certainty that every problem is solved.

8. What will the library record when the club continues?

   1. The names of every resident in town
   2. The price of a compulsory membership
   3. How many visitors own a car
   4. Which types of item are hardest to repair
   5. Which volunteers should replace the library staff
   Answer 8 & explanation

   D. Which types of item are hardest to repair

   The continuation plan explicitly includes recording which types of item are hardest to repair. The other records are not mentioned. Use the stated plan rather than a plausible but invented administrative task.