Correct Answer: got a new tent in the mail
Passage Reference: I was surprised and delighted to receive your parcel and open your thoughtful present. A two-person camping tent is just what I needed. I've used it already; my friend Ryan and I spent a week camping in the Kootenay region of BC.
Why this is correct: Grandpa sent a parcel with the tent inside. Greg thanks him for this thoughtful present, so he got a new tent in the mail.
Tips: Find the part of Greg's letter that deals with the topic of the options. Test each one against his exact words.
Why the other options are wrong:
- bought a new tent: bought a new tent gives Greg the wrong role, since Grandpa sent it as a gift.
- needs a new tent for his trip: needs a new tent for his trip describes an earlier need, but Greg has already received and used the tent.
- got used to his old family tent: got used to his old family tent conflicts with Greg's description of that tent as too big and worn out.
Correct Answer: were surprised by the water level at the lake
Passage Reference: We were looking forward to the white sand beach, but when we arrived, the park ranger informed us that all the recent rainfall had caused the lake to flood a couple metres higher than normal.
Why this is correct: were surprised by the water level at the lake fits the unexpected flooding they found. The lake was much higher than normal and covered the beach.
Tips: Compare what travellers expected with what they actually found.
Why the other options are wrong:
- enjoyed the provincial park's white sand beaches: enjoyed the provincial park's white sand beaches is impossible because the beach was completely under water.
- toured several campsites in the Kootenay region: toured several campsites in the Kootenay region describes their plan, but they stayed at the first campsite for the whole trip.
- were unable to tour and camp because of the rainfall: were unable to tour and camp because of the rainfall overstates the problem, since they still camped and hiked for a week.
Correct Answer: he wanted to revisit his dad’s hometown
Passage Reference: We drove a different route to get home so we could pass through the city of Nelson. It looks different from the last time I was there, but that’s not too surprising; I was there just a couple times as a kid.
Why this is correct: he wanted to revisit his dad’s hometown explains the route through Nelson. Greg connects the city with his father's birthplace and family history.
Tips: A place may matter because of family history even if the writer never lived there.
Why the other options are wrong:
- his grandpa still owns a shop there: his grandpa still owns a shop there is false because Grandpa sold the business many years earlier.
- he wanted to pay his father a visit: This gives the wrong purpose. The letter never says his father lives in Nelson now.
- he used to live there as a child: Greg only says he went there a couple of times. A childhood visit is not the same as living there.
Correct Answer: he saw something that belonged to his grandfather
Passage Reference: It’s a cafe now, but they kept your old shop sign as a decoration in the cafe. I got pretty emotional when I saw it. I felt really proud of our family history.
Why this is correct: he saw something that belonged to his grandfather refers to the old shop sign. Seeing this piece of family history made Greg emotional.
Tips: Find the sentence where Greg says he felt emotional. Then look back to see what caused that feeling.
Why the other options are wrong:
- his father told him stories about his childhood: The email says Dad showed Greg two places on an earlier visit. It does not describe childhood stories. Greg became emotional when he saw the old shop sign.
- he found out his grandpa’s business had shut down: This is not what made him emotional. Greg reacts to the old sign kept inside the cafe.
- he saw the house where his father grew up: This is wrong in two ways. It was his father's birthplace, and Greg could not find it.
Correct Answer: thank him for a gift and suggest a visit
Passage Reference: So, I was thinking that maybe I should fly over to visit you. I have 2 weeks before college starts, so I could come for a week or so.
Why this is correct: Greg opens by thanking Grandpa for the tent and tells him about the trip he used it on. He ends by suggesting a flight to Montreal. So he is writing mainly to thank him for a gift and suggest a visit.
Tips: A letter can have more than one aim. Ask why Greg wrote and what he wants Grandpa to answer, then choose the option that covers both.
Why the other options are wrong:
- ask him for money to buy a plane ticket: Greg says he has enough money saved from his summer job to pay for the ticket.
- invite him to Calgary for a camping trip: Invite him to Calgary for a camping trip reverses the plan. Greg wants to fly to Montreal, and he will bring the tent there.
- complain that a flood spoiled his camping trip: The flooded beach is only one detail. Greg says they still had a great time hiking.
Correct Answer: used to go camping with Greg
Passage Reference: Perhaps the two of us can go camping like in the old days. We haven’t done that since you moved east. I’ll bring the new tent!
Why this is correct: used to go camping with Greg is shown by their memories of the old days. They stopped doing it together after Grandpa moved east.
Tips: Collect every fact the letter gives about Grandpa. Test each option against those facts.
Why the other options are wrong:
- is moving back to Calgary: is moving back to Calgary invents a move, while Grandpa remains in Montreal and invites Greg there.
- bought Greg a ticket back to Nelson: This mixes up the gift and the place. Grandpa gave a tent, and Greg plans a flight to Montreal.
- is coming to Calgary for a few weeks: is coming to Calgary for a few weeks reverses the travel plan because Greg wants to fly east to see Grandpa.
Correct Answer: see you here
Passage Reference: Anyway, email me as soon as you book the flight over here.
Why this is correct: see you here is Grandpa's warm response to Greg's proposed visit. From Grandpa's point of view, Greg will fly to where he lives.
Tips: Think about where Grandpa is when he writes. Greg is flying to him, so pick the words Grandpa would use about his own city.
Why the other options are wrong:
- visit Montreal: visit Montreal does not fit Grandpa's action because he already lives there and is welcoming Greg to him.
- go to Calgary: go to Calgary reverses the direction of travel, as Greg is the person booking a flight east.
- visit the Kootenays: visit the Kootenays repeats Greg's completed camping trip rather than the new family visit.
Correct Answer: camping is a great idea
Passage Reference: After all, we have to put the tent to good use! You just email me your travel plans.
Why this is correct: camping is a great idea is what Grandpa questions because of his age. He still wants to try it so they can use the new tent together.
Tips: Use the sentence after a blank to identify the activity being discussed.
Why the other options are wrong:
- we should visit the old cafe: we should visit the old cafe is unrelated to Grandpa's old bones and would require travel back to Nelson.
- flying here is wise: flying here is wise does not connect with using the tent, and Grandpa later tells Greg to book the flight.
- I can make it to Calgary: I can make it to Calgary names a trip Grandpa never proposes and does not explain his comment about the tent.
Correct Answer: spend your own money on a ticket
Passage Reference: I can take care of that, you should keep your savings for tuition.
Why this is correct: spend your own money on a ticket is unnecessary because Grandpa offers to pay. He wants Greg to save his earnings for tuition instead.
Tips: Read the next sentence of Grandpa's reply. Ask what he offers to handle for Greg.
Why the other options are wrong:
- drive all the way to Montreal: drive all the way to Montreal is not the expense Grandpa offers to cover, since both messages discuss booking a flight.
- buy a new tent for this trip: buy a new tent for this trip makes no sense because Grandpa has just given Greg a suitable new tent.
- plan a camping trip for us: plan a camping trip for us is still encouraged, while Grandpa's offer specifically protects Greg's tuition savings.
Correct Answer: the old store sign
Passage Reference: It’s a cafe now, but they kept your old shop sign as a decoration in the cafe.
Why this is correct: the old store sign is the object Grandpa hopes Greg photographed. It is displayed inside the cafe and reminds both men of their family business.
Tips: Match descriptive phrases such as “object displayed” to a physical item, not a building or person.
Why the other options are wrong:
- your father at the cafe: The reply asks about an object displayed inside the cafe. It refers to the old sign, not a person.
- the old cafe: The reply asks about an object displayed inside the cafe. The cafe is the building, while the sign is the object inside it.
- the house where your dad was born: the house where your dad was born cannot be the photograph in question because Greg failed to locate it.
Correct Answer: didn't find the old house
Passage Reference: I drove around and I couldn’t find your old house, Grandpa; however, I did find your old store!
Why this is correct: didn't find the old house states what Greg was unable to locate in Nelson. Grandpa is sorry and wonders whether the century-old house still exists.
Tips: Keep two nearby landmarks separate by noting which one was found and which one was missing.
Why the other options are wrong:
- couldn't buy the old sign: couldn't buy the old sign is never presented as a problem, since Greg only admired the sign and may have photographed it.
- didn't recognize the cafe: didn't recognize the cafe is false because Greg identified it through Grandpa's old shop sign.
- didn't find the old store: didn't find the old store contradicts Greg's excited report that he found the building, now operating as a cafe.
