Road Congestion Has Grown By 37 Percent GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

Road congestion has grown by 37 percent, and as people switch from private cars to public transport, the total distance traveled by rail is expected to increase 60 percent. Despite the obvious increase in demand for space on our roads and trains, governments are failing to match forecast growth with investment in either mode of transport. In the 10 worst areas, the problems are already chronic, with immediate investment needed if sufficient capacity is to be created to cope with future demand. In these areas, new roads and tracks and longer platforms that can handle longer trains are already needed to relieve bottlenecks, congestion and severe overcrowding during peak hours. Despite demand, there are no plans to expand road and rail networks significantly and, indeed, closures and cuts in funding are on the agenda. The paucity of public investment raises considerable doubts that those few projects that are currently supported by government will ever be completed because ministers are refusing to say how much public money they will receive.

“Road congestion has grown by 37 percent”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 5 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

Question 1
Which of the following statements can you infer to be true?

1. People are giving up their cars to undertake journeys by train.
2. Rail passengers face a bleak future of overcrowding and more expensive journeys.
3. Road use has grown by 37 percent and rail use by 60 percent.
4. Despite increased demand there are no plans to increase road and rail networks significantly.
5. As road congestion has grown, the total distance traveled by rail has increased.

Question 2
It is hard to arrive at any other conclusion than travelers face a bleak future of:

1. overcrowded networks, slower journey times and higher fares
2. congestion, bottlenecks and overcrowding
3. congestion, overcrowded networks and higher fares
4. overcrowding, congestion and even slower journey times
5. slower journey times and higher fares

Question 3
In the context of the passage, the word paucity means:

1. the small amount of rail investment
2. the diminutive public investment in the expansion of the railway
3. the presence of something in only immense quantities
4. the low level of public investment
5. the presence of something in only diminutive quantities

Question 4
In the worst 10 areas, immediate investment is already needed:

1. because the problem there is already chronic
2. because during peak periods they suffer bottlenecks, congestion and severe overcrowding
3. if the infrastructure is to cope with future demand
4. if they are to build the extra rail tracks, roads and longer train platforms
5. before people can switch from private to public transport

Question 5
It can be inferred from the passage that:

1. There was a greater demand for rail travel than travel by private car.
2. Governments were in favor of people switching from cars to public transport.
3. There is every indication that governments were against people switching modes of transport.
4. Governments were undermining the switch from private to public transport by failing to invest in transport networks.
5. Governments were doing little in practical terms to encourage people to switch from cars to public transport.

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