Slowly but Surely the Great Passenger Trains of the United States GMAT Reading Comprehension

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Reading Passage Question

Slowly but surely the great passenger trains of the United States have been fading from the rails. Short-run commuter trains still rattle in and out of the cities. Between major cities you can still find a train, but the schedules are becoming less frequent. The Twentieth Century Limited, The Broadway Limited, and other luxury trains that sang along the rails at 60 to 80 miles an hour are no longer running. Passengers on other long runs complain of poor service, old equipment, and costs in time and money. The long-distance traveler today accepts the noise of jets, the congestion at airports, and the traffic between airport and city. A more elegant and graceful way is becoming only a memory.

“Slowly but Surely the Great Passenger Trains of the United States” - is a reading comprehension passage with answers for the GMAT. Candidates must have a strong understanding of English GMAT reading comprehension. This GMAT Reading Comprehension section contains 2 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions assess candidates' abilities to comprehend, analyze, and apply information or concepts. GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions can help candidates actively prepare.

Solutions and Explanation

  1. With respect to the reduction of long-run passenger trains, the writer expresses

(A) regret
(B) pleasure
(C) grief
(D) elation
(E) anger

Answer: A
Explanation: The author’s emotion must be highlighted before answering this question. The author does not actually state his feelings, but clues are available. So, we may infer his state of mind. Option (B) and (D) are incorrect; he provides no word that shows that he is pleased by the change. Option (C) is too strong, as is Option (E). Hence, Option (A) is the most practical inference to make. He is upset to see the change. He expressed regret in the passage.

  1. According to the author the air travel is

(A) costly
(B) slow
(C) streamlined
(D) elegant
(E) uncomfortable

Answer: E
Explanation: The last line of the passage states “The long-distance traveler today accepts … traffic between airport and city”. Here we can see what the author says about his minimal experience of air travel. Additionally, the author in this passage states the negative and annoying reasons for air travel. So, the answer choice for this question becomes fairly clear. Option (E) is the correct answer.

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