HOTS English Primary 4 Comprehension

Read the passage and answer the question.\n\nThe town of Millbrook had always relied on its single coal mine for employment. When the mine closed in 2015, unemployment rose sharply and many families struggled to make ends meet. The town council debated what to do. Some councillors wanted to attract a new factory. Others argued that a factory would bring only low-skilled jobs. A young councillor, Ms Chen, proposed turning the disused mine into an eco-tourism site that would celebrate the town's industrial heritage. After two years of renovation, the mine opened as a heritage museum and adventure park. Visitor numbers grew steadily, and by 2022, Millbrook's unemployment rate had fallen below the national average.\n\nWhat can be most reasonably inferred about why Ms Chen's proposal succeeded where the factory plan did not?

A Ms Chen was more popular than the other councillors.
B The eco-tourism plan created higher-quality jobs and drew more visitors than a factory would have.
C Factories are always bad for small towns.
D The town could not afford to build a factory.
Show Worked Solution

Worked Solution

Step 1: Identify what the question asks — WHY did the eco-tourism plan succeed where the factory plan did not? Step 2: Recall the objection to the factory: "only low-skilled jobs". The eco-tourism plan used the mine's heritage and grew visitor numbers until unemployment fell below the national average. Step 3: The most reasonable inference is that eco-tourism created better-quality employment and economic activity — addressing the very concern raised against the factory. Step 4: Eliminate options with no textual basis (popularity, affordability, universal factory claims). Answer: The eco-tourism plan created higher-quality jobs and drew more visitors than a factory would have.

Correct answer: The eco-tourism plan created higher-quality jobs and drew more visitors than a factory would have.

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