Correct Answer: to seek clarification
Passage Reference: I don’t dispute the charges, but I just want to confirm that I should pay the invoice in spite of the mistakes made by the City.
Why this is correct: Fatima asks whether she should still pay the invoice. She wants a clear answer after the City's mistakes, so she is seeking clarification.
Tips: The final request often states the writer's main purpose most clearly.
Why the other options are wrong:
- to claim compensation: Fatima lists her costs, but she does not ask the City to pay them back. She only asks if she should pay the fine.
- to explain a late payment: The fine is due tomorrow, so it is not late yet. Fatima is not explaining a missed payment.
- to make an apology: Fatima does not say sorry for anything. She describes problems the City caused and asks a question.
Correct Answer: in the city government
Passage Reference: I checked your website and it said that cars were being towed to a lot at the end of Henri-Bourassa Street to make way for snow removal trucks.
Why this is correct: Fatima addresses Simon about the City of Montreal and calls the City website his website. This suggests he works for the City.
Tips: Use the organization and services named in the letter to work out who the recipient is.
Why the other options are wrong:
- at a towing company: The complaint concerns the City website and payment system. The email does not identify Simon as an employee of a towing company.
- at a collection agency: Nothing in the letter points to a debt collector. The fine is not overdue, and Fatima writes about the City's website.
- at a police station: Fatima writes about City services and refers to the City website as Simon's website. She does not mention a police station.
Correct Answer: the municipal government
Passage Reference: I checked your website and it said that cars were being towed to a lot at the end of Henri-Bourassa Street to make way for snow removal trucks. The next day, I took a $3 bus ride to the stated address, but my car was not there.
Why this is correct: The City's website gave Fatima only the main lot address. The missing update sent her to the wrong place. So the municipal government caused the problem.
Tips: Trace wrong information back to the source that first provided it.
Why the other options are wrong:
- the customer service representative: Viviane did not give the wrong information. She solved the mystery and helped Fatima find the second lot.
- the bus driver: Fatima only paid the bus driver her fare. The driver gave her no information about her car.
- the recipient of the letter: Simon receives Fatima's letter. The wrong address came from the City's website, not from him personally.
Correct Answer: parked in an area being cleared for snow removal
Passage Reference: I checked your website and it said that cars were being towed to a lot at the end of Henri-Bourassa Street to make way for snow removal trucks. The next day, I took a $3 bus ride to the stated address, but my car was not there.
Why this is correct: The City moved cars out of the snow trucks' path. Fatima had parked near a No Parking sign in that area, which was being cleared for snow removal.
Tips: Keep the cause of the towing separate from problems discovered afterward.
Why the other options are wrong:
- easy for thieves to steal: The City towed the car. It was not stolen, although someone later took $80 of gasoline from it.
- stuck in snow with no gas: The City towed the car to clear the road for snow removal. Fatima found it stuck in snow later. She reports stolen fuel, but does not say the tank was empty.
- in an unpaid parking spot: The issue was a temporary No Parking area for snow clearing. It was not about a missing parking payment.
Correct Answer: dirty
Passage Reference: Twenty minutes later, I found my car at the other address, its wheels stuck in snow, its exterior covered with grime, and its windshield displaying a $115 towing bill.
Why this is correct: Grime was covering the outside of Fatima's car when she found it at the second lot. Grime means dirt that has built up on a surface. So the car was dirty.
Tips: Use nearby context or a simple synonym to understand an unfamiliar word.
Why the other options are wrong:
- stolen: The car was not stolen. Fatima found it at the second towing lot.
- black: Fatima never says what colour her car is.
- empty: Someone took $80 of gasoline. But Fatima does not say the tank or the car was empty.
Correct Answer: location
Passage Reference: Unfortunately the website had not been updated to include the second address. Thus, visitors to the website only saw information related to the primary lot.
Why this is correct: The website showed one towing lot address but left out the second one. Fatima's car was at that missing location.
Tips: Find what the website failed to show. Then ask what kind of detail an address is.
Why the other options are wrong:
- time: The problem was where the car had been taken, not when it was towed.
- sign: The No Parking sign was hard to see because of the snow. But the website mistake was about the lot address.
- fee: The $115 towing bill was on the windshield. Fatima does not say the amount was wrong.
Correct Answer: frustrating
Passage Reference: It was snowing again and -32°C. I waited for over half an hour for another bus, paid the driver another $3, and headed two kilometres in the opposite direction.
Why this is correct: Fatima faced wrong directions, severe cold, extra travel and payment trouble. These repeated problems would make anyone upset and annoyed. So the experience was frustrating.
Tips: Choose the feeling word that matches both the events and the reply's sympathetic tone.
Why the other options are wrong:
- interesting: Simon is showing sympathy for Fatima's problems. Nothing about her experience was fun or interesting.
- satisfying: Nothing went smoothly for Fatima. She went to the wrong lot, and she still cannot pay online.
- odd: The situation is more than strange. It causes repeated delays, costs and annoyance.
Correct Answer: pay the fine
Passage Reference: I don’t dispute the charges, but I just want to confirm that I should pay the invoice in spite of the mistakes made by the City.
Why this is correct: Simon confirms that the charge still applies. The City's mistakes do not cancel Fatima's towing invoice, so she must pay the fine.
Tips: Distinguish actions already completed from the action the reply says is still required.
Why the other options are wrong:
- check the website: Fatima already checked the website, and it only showed the first lot. She also tried to pay online, so checking again would not answer her question.
- find your car: Fatima has already found her car. She found it before she wrote the letter.
- take the bus: Fatima's question is about the fine. Another bus trip is not what she still has to do.
Correct Answer: cars being towed
Passage Reference: It turned out that it had been necessary to establish a secondary lot in order to accommodate all of the cars that needed to be towed.
Why this is correct: Heavy snow created more snow removal work, so more cars had to be towed. This larger number put pressure on data entry.
Tips: Follow the chain of causes: more snow removal meant more of something. Find why the City needed a second lot.
Why the other options are wrong:
- bus passengers: Simon links the pressure to snow removal. Snow removal means more cars towed, not more bus riders.
- unlocked vehicles: Fatima's own car was unlocked. But nobody says more cars were left unlocked.
- visitors to the city of Montreal: The increase comes from snow removal. Nothing is said about more visitors to Montreal.
Correct Answer: the end of this week
Passage Reference: the end of this week is correct because the team promises to complete the fix during the current week. The text states Our data team has committed to fixing the problem this week..
Why this is correct: The team promises to finish the fix during the current week. So the end of this week is the deadline.
Tips: A sentence asking when needs a time expression, not a person or condition.
Why the other options are wrong:
- the time you locate your car: Fatima has already found her car. The problem Simon means is the online payment system.
- warmer temperatures and less snowfall: Simon links the fix to the data team's work this week, not to the weather.
- our customer service representatives: Customer service representatives are people, not a time. The sentence needs to say when the problems will be fixed.
Correct Answer: extensions
Passage Reference: extensions is correct because ticket holders are given extra time until the online problem is fixed. The text states Our data team has committed to fixing the problem this week..
Why this is correct: Ticket holders are given extra time until the online problem is fixed. Their payment deadlines are moved later for this short period. These are extensions.
Tips: Use the words “until then” to look for a temporary change to a deadline.
Why the other options are wrong:
- excuses: Simon still expects the fines to be paid. He is giving people more time, not a reason to skip them.
- wishes: A wish does not change a payment date. Simon is offering something practical until the fix is done.
- refunds: Simon says Fatima must still pay the fine. So the City is not giving money back.
