Read the passage first
The lesson below refers to this passage.
A Transfer Worth Testing
Overview
To evaluate an argument, state the recommendation and its success criteria before judging evidence. A relevant fact must bear on a reason for that recommendation. A counterargument may lead the author to narrow a proposal or add a safeguard rather than abandon it. Keep the conditions attached to the conclusion.
“A Transfer Worth Testing” supports a trial, not an unconditional permanent policy. Affordable connections and dependable service are separate goals. More transfer use would support access, but missed trips due to vehicle problems would challenge reliability. Thus increased ridership alone cannot settle continuation. The maintenance objection determines which evidence the trial should collect. Notice the practical tone: acknowledging an objection can strengthen a recommendation by making its evaluation more honest.
“Borrowing More Than Books” similarly requires occasional need, manageable instruction, and sustainable staff work. A powerful tool may be useful but fail the safety and instruction constraints. A hand tool that residents seldom need fits several criteria at once. The response to the books-only objection broadens the library's purpose to learning and practical work; it does not imply that every requested object belongs in the collection. “Modest” describes scale here, not embarrassment or poor quality.
When two choices each mention a real benefit, compare them against all stated conditions. A tempting answer might privilege high borrowing while ignoring inspection burden. Explain why it is incomplete rather than rejecting it merely because it uses a strong word. For evidence selection, distinguish a measurement of use from one of sustainability. For a new policy passage, make a short verbal test: what is proposed, under what conditions, and what observation would change the decision? That test also helps you summarize the argument without stripping away its qualifications.
Apply the method to a complete new context
Read the whole passage before choosing an answer.
Opening the Schoolyard on Saturdays
The district should unlock one elementary schoolyard on Saturday mornings this spring as a trial. Many nearby apartments have no private outdoor space, and the closest public park sits across a four-lane road.
Some parents worry that weekend visitors will leave litter or damage equipment, giving custodians extra work on Monday. That concern is reasonable. A volunteer should open and close the gate, and custodians should record any added cleanup time each week.
If attendance is steady and the added cleanup stays small, the district can consider opening other schoolyards. If damage or cleanup grows, the trial should change or end. A space meant to serve families should not quietly become a burden on staff.
Under the author's conditions, which result would most clearly support opening other schoolyards? A. Many families attend, but custodians record several added hours of cleanup every Monday. B. Custodians record no added cleanup because the gate stayed locked on most Saturdays. C. A survey finds that most parents like the idea of open schoolyards on weekends. D. Families attend steadily through the spring, and the recorded cleanup time stays small.
The supported answer is D: Families attend steadily through the spring, and the recorded cleanup time stays small. The author ties expansion to two conditions together: steady use and a small cleanup burden. Choice A satisfies the attendance condition but fails the cleanup condition, so it would point toward changing the trial rather than expanding it.
When a recommendation comes with conditions, test each answer against every condition rather than the single benefit it mentions.