Correct Answer: leaving school before completing his studies
Passage Reference: I hope you will have no objection to this help and will never think of leaving school before completing your studies.
Why this is correct: Johnson is thinking about leaving school before finishing his studies. Peter writes because he wants Johnson to continue his education.
Tips: Find where Peter mentions what Johnson is thinking of doing. Read the full phrase, not just part of it.
Why the other options are wrong:
- finishing his studies away from his family: Johnson is considering leaving education, not completing it from a different place.
- transferring to a less expensive school: No transfer to a cheaper school is suggested anywhere in Peter's letter.
- taking a break from school to work for Peter: Peter offers financial support, not a job or a study break.
Correct Answer: his family cannot afford to support his studies
Passage Reference: Your family's financial situation should not prevent you from continuing your education.
Why this is correct: Johnson's family is facing financial hardship. That lack of money makes him consider leaving school.
Tips: Identify whose finances are named and avoid adding a different decision-maker or event.
Why the other options are wrong:
- his study expenses have increased without warning: The letter says the family has financial difficulties, not that school costs rose unexpectedly.
- his school has refused his application for assistance: There is no rejected school-aid application in the message.
- his family wants him to start earning immediately: Peter does not say Johnson's family wants him to earn money now. He says they cannot support his studies.
Correct Answer: lose hope
Passage Reference: But I believe you should not lose heart.
Why this is correct: Peter's whole letter encourages Johnson. He tells him not to lose heart, explains his father's offer of help, and asks him never to think of leaving school. So the main message is that Johnson should not lose hope.
Tips: For the main message, find the advice that the other parts of the letter support. Test each option against the whole letter.
Why the other options are wrong:
- accept help from outside his family: Peter hopes Johnson will accept outside help, so that is not what he warns against.
- discuss the situation with his father: The letter mentions Peter speaking with his own father, not Johnson discussing the matter with his father.
- make a decision before speaking to his school: Peter does not mention a decision deadline or require Johnson to speak to the school first.
Correct Answer: a monthly allowance
Passage Reference: You will be glad to know that he very kindly offered to send you a monthly allowance of $150 to help with your school expenses.
Why this is correct: Peter's father offers Johnson a monthly allowance. This regular financial help is meant to let him continue studying.
Tips: Keep both the frequency and form of the offered help when comparing financial options.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a single payment for the current term: The father offers recurring monthly support, not one payment for the current term.
- a paid position after school each week: No paid work is offered. The plan is an allowance for school expenses.
- a reduction in the amount charged by the school: The offer is money toward school expenses, not a change in the school’s charges.
Correct Answer: increase the monthly amount
Passage Reference: If it is not enough, please tell us what you need and we can increase it. Please be frank and do not worry about anything.
Why this is correct: Peter says the amount can be raised if it does not meet Johnson's needs. This means the monthly allowance can be increased.
Tips: Find what Peter says should happen if the money falls short. Read what he asks Johnson to do and what they will do.
Why the other options are wrong:
- postpone payments until the costs are lower: Peter offers to raise support if needed, not postpone payments until costs fall.
- pay the same amount at shorter intervals: He does not change how often the money is paid. He says the amount itself can increase.
- cover only the school fees directly: The offer is to meet Johnson's needs generally, not to pay only school fees directly.
Correct Answer: the previous night
Passage Reference: Last night when I was reading your letter and thinking over it, my father came into the room and asked about you.
Why this is correct: Peter writes about his father's kind offer, and that happened last night, when he was reading Johnson's letter. From the time of writing, last night means the previous night.
Tips: Find the part about Peter's father and his kind idea. Look for a time word in that part and match it to an option.
Why the other options are wrong:
- earlier that morning: Earlier that morning is a different time from the night before Peter writes.
- during their last visit: No visit with Johnson is mentioned in connection with reading the letter.
- after speaking to Johnson’s family: Peter describes speaking with his own father, not Johnson’s family, while considering the letter.
Correct Answer: a monthly allowance
Passage Reference: You will be glad to know that he very kindly offered to send you a monthly allowance of $150 to help with your school expenses.
Why this is correct: Johnson thanks Peter for his father's offer of a monthly allowance. The answer keeps the exact type and frequency of the financial help.
Tips: In a thank-you sentence, repeat the actual form of help instead of substituting another financial arrangement.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a reduction in my school fees: Peter’s father offers an allowance. No cut in the school’s fees is suggested.
- a single payment for this term: The promised support recurs monthly and is not limited to a single term payment.
- a temporary job after school: The offer is financial assistance, not after-school employment.
Correct Answer: continue my education
Passage Reference: Your family's financial situation should not prevent you from continuing your education.
Why this is correct: Peter and his father want Johnson to continue his education. Their support is intended to stop financial hardship from ending his studies.
Tips: Use the purpose of the allowance to complete what Peter and his father want Johnson to do.
Why the other options are wrong:
- finish this term before finding work: Peter wants Johnson to complete his studies, not stop after the current term to work.
- study at home without attending school: Continuing education means staying in school. Home study is not suggested.
- transfer to a cheaper school: No transfer to another school is part of the proposed solution.
Correct Answer: cover my needs
Passage Reference: Please let me know whether this amount will enable you to meet your needs.
Why this is correct: Peter asks whether the allowance will meet Johnson's needs. In the reply, cover my needs expresses the same idea.
Tips: Find the question Peter asks about the allowance. Choose the option that says the same thing in other words.
Why the other options are wrong:
- cover only my school fees: Covering only school fees is narrower than Peter's offer to meet all essential study needs.
- be repaid after I complete school: The allowance is help, and Peter never asks Johnson to repay it after graduation.
- remain unchanged until I graduate: Peter says the amount can increase, so it is not fixed until Johnson graduates.
Correct Answer: increase the allowance
Passage Reference: If it is not enough, please tell us what you need and we can increase it. Please be frank and do not worry about anything.
Why this is correct: Peter offers to raise the amount if the first allowance is too small. Johnson understands that the allowance may be increased after he checks his costs.
Tips: Identify what Peter offers to change if Johnson's cost calculation shows a shortfall.
Why the other options are wrong:
- pay the school instead of me: Peter does not say the money must be paid directly to the school.
- limit support to this school term: No end-of-term limit is placed on the support in the letter.
- replace the allowance with paid work: Paid work is never offered as a replacement for the allowance.
Correct Answer: considering your offer carefully
Passage Reference: Before accepting, I will prepare a list of my essential study costs. You asked whether the allowance would {3}, so it seems sensible to check the figures first.
Why this is correct: Johnson has not accepted or refused the offer yet. He is checking his costs and speaking with his family, so he is considering it carefully.
Tips: Infer Johnson's current position from his sequence of checking costs and consulting his family before deciding.
Why the other options are wrong:
- requesting a larger allowance immediately: He clearly avoids asking for more until he knows what he needs.
- accepting before checking my expenses: He will calculate expenses before accepting, so he has not accepted immediately.
- declining help until next term: He does not decline the help or postpone the decision until another term.
