Correct Answer: how far ferry fares should be evened out across routes
Passage Reference: the province is now studying a single fare band for every one of our public routes
Why this is correct: The editorial says the province is studying a single fare band for every public route. Each person it reports takes a view on how far fares should be evened out.
Tips: For a “mainly about” question, find what the province is studying in the first paragraph. Then check that every speaker argues about it.
Why the other options are wrong:
- whether the province should buy new kayak-tour boats: Agarwal runs a kayak-tour company, but nobody suggests the province buy boats for tours.
- why harbour crossings in Vancouver are so crowded: The Vancouver crossing is mentioned only for its low fare, not for crowding.
- why the province should build a bridge to Gabriola: No bridge is proposed. The ferry is the only link the editorial discusses.
Correct Answer: Dorian Ouimet
Passage Reference: flattening every fare without publishing what each sailing costs would quietly move money out of ship repairs and into ticket subsidies
Why this is correct: Dorian Ouimet warns about flattening every fare without publishing what each sailing costs. He says this would quietly move money out of ship repairs and into ticket subsidies.
Tips: Read each speaker’s lines and look for a warning. Then ask whose warning links equal fares to the money that keeps the ships running.
Why the other options are wrong:
- Anneke Lowry: Anneke Lowry wants the fare gap narrowed. She does not warn about money for repairs.
- Juno Shimizu: Juno Shimizu mentions old vessels and wants a fleet plan first. But the warning that equal fares would move money out of repairs comes from Ouimet.
- Orson Agarwal: Orson Agarwal worries about sudden price jumps and notice, not about repair money.
Correct Answer: records of how much island families spend on ferries
Passage Reference: She points to household diaries showing that island families spend a far larger share of their income on sailings than city riders do.
Why this is correct: Lowry points to household diaries. They show that island families spend a far larger share of their income on sailings. Records of their ferry spending are the kind of evidence that backs her.
Tips: Find Lowry’s reason for one fare scale. The right choice is proof that would make that reason stronger.
Why the other options are wrong:
- tour operators who lost bookings to surprise fares: Lost bookings would support Agarwal’s call for notice before fare changes, not Lowry’s case about island incomes.
- mainland riders who rarely take the ferry: How often mainland riders travel says nothing about the burden on island families.
- repair bills that keep ships out of service: Repair problems would support Ouimet’s and Shimizu’s caution about ship funding, not Lowry’s case for narrower fares.
Correct Answer: a cost split and fleet plan would precede equal fares
Passage Reference: she wants a formula that divides costs between the provincial grant and what riders pay at the ticket booth, and a multi-year plan for replacing ships, in place before any permanent move to equal fares
Why this is correct: Shimizu wants two things in place before any permanent move to equal fares. One is a formula that divides costs between the provincial grant and what riders pay. The other is a multi-year plan for replacing ships.
Tips: Shimizu’s lines are long, so read to the end of her sentence. The words “in place before” tell you the order she wants.
Why the other options are wrong:
- ticket prices would rise on the island runs: Shimizu never asks for higher island fares. She supports Lowry’s caps and wants a cost formula first.
- equal fares would start on every route this spring: Shimizu wants her formula and fleet plan in place first. Only the caps are to start this spring, and that is the writers’ view.
- each route would set its own fares independently: Shimizu never suggests separate fares for each route. She wants one formula for sharing costs.
Correct Answer: unwilling until the costs are clear
Passage Reference: Only then should the province decide how far to flatten the rest.
Why this is correct: The editorial wants the cost of every sailing, Shimizu’s formula and the fleet plan published first. It then says, “Only then should the province decide how far to flatten the rest.”
Tips: Look for “Only then” in the last paragraph. It shows what the writers want to happen before any bigger change.
Why the other options are wrong:
- enthusiastic, since it is fair to islanders: The writers agree the gap is too wide but say they are not ready to erase the real cost of each route.
- indifferent, since few people use ferries: The writers care a great deal about ferries. They say a ferry that still runs in ten years matters.
- opposed to it under any conditions: Notice that the writers leave room to flatten more fares once the costs and plans are published.
Correct Answer: caps on medical and school trips
Passage Reference: Her first step would be caps on trips for medical appointments and school.
Why this is correct: Lowry says her first step would be caps on trips for medical appointments and school.
Tips: The comment asks for Lowry’s first step. Find the words “first step” in her lines.
Why the other options are wrong:
- free sailings for island seniors: Lowry asks for caps on some trips, not free sailings for any age group.
- a new ferry for the northern routes: New ships are part of Shimizu’s fleet plan, not Lowry’s first step.
- lower fares on weekends only: Weekends are never mentioned. Lowry’s caps are for medical and school trips.
Correct Answer: announced a full season ahead
Passage Reference: He wants any fare change announced a full season ahead
Why this is correct: Agarwal, who runs the kayak-tour company, wants any fare change announced a full season ahead, with clear rules for peak-time surcharges.
Tips: The comment calls him the kayak operator, so find the man who runs kayak tours. Read what he wants for any fare change.
Why the other options are wrong:
- approved by a vote of riders: Agarwal asks for notice, not a vote.
- limited to the summer months: Agarwal loses bookings in the shoulder season. He never asks to limit changes to summer.
- tied to the price of fuel: Fuel prices are never mentioned in the editorial.
Correct Answer: are more than 40 years old
Passage Reference: four of the fleet’s vessels are more than 40 years old
Why this is correct: Shimizu, who plans routes and refits for the ferry corporation, says four of the fleet’s vessels are more than 40 years old.
Tips: The comment is about four of the vessels. Look for that number in the third paragraph and read what it says about them.
Why the other options are wrong:
- were built outside Canada: Nothing in the passage says where the ships were built.
- carry fewer cars than planned: Shimizu talks about the age of the vessels, not how many cars they carry.
- will be sold next year: No sale is mentioned. Shimizu wants a multi-year plan for replacing ships.
Correct Answer: about $80 for a return trip
Passage Reference: A family of four on Gabriola pays about $80 for a return trip to Nanaimo with the car
Why this is correct: The first sentence describes a family of four on Gabriola. They pay about $80 for a return trip to Nanaimo with the car.
Tips: Go back to the first sentence, as the comment says. Two prices appear there, so make sure you pick the one for the island family.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a few dollars for each crossing: A few dollars is what a commuter pays on the short harbour crossing in Vancouver, not the Gabriola family.
- nothing at all on school days: No free school-day fares exist. Caps on school trips are only proposed.
- twice the fare on weekends: Weekend prices are never mentioned. Peak-time surcharges come up only in Agarwal’s request for clear rules.
Correct Answer: publish the cost of every sailing
Passage Reference: the ferry corporation should publish the cost of every sailing on every route
Why this is correct: The editorial says that before anything more, the ferry corporation should publish the cost of every sailing on every route.
Tips: Look for “Before anything more” in the last paragraph. The writers’ first request to the ferry corporation follows.
Why the other options are wrong:
- sell its oldest ships to private owners: The writers want a plan for replacing ships, not a sale of old ones.
- cut sailings on quiet winter routes: In the last paragraph, the writers want ferries that still run in ten years. They never propose cutting sailings.
- raise fares on the city crossings: The writers never recommend raising city fares. They want costs published before deciding how far to flatten.
