- Diana is a manager. She attends the health fair for 45 minutes during her lunch break. What does the announcement say she will receive?
Answer: Diana will not receive a gift card because managers are not eligible for the wellness gift card
When reading workplace announcements, pay close attention to rules that apply to specific groups of people — these details are often the key to answering comprehension questions correctly.
The announcement states two important facts: first, employees who attend will receive a $25 wellness gift card; second, managers are not eligible for the gift card. Diana is a manager. Even though she attends the health fair, the announcement clearly excludes her from receiving the gift card. That makes D the correct answer — Diana will not receive a gift card because managers are not eligible.
Answer A is incorrect because the announcement never mentions a 30-minute minimum for earning the gift card. This detail was invented — don't choose answers that add information the passage never states. Answer B makes a similar mistake. It says "all employees who attend" receive a gift card, but Diana is a manager, not a general employee in this context. The announcement specifically separates managers from regular employees regarding the gift card. Answer C is incorrect because the paid time option is for employees who need to leave their desk during work hours — it is not a reward for attending during a lunch break. Diana attended during her own lunch break, so this benefit does not apply.
A helpful strategy: when a passage lists different rules for different groups of people, underline or mentally note each group and its specific rule. Test questions often describe a person from one group and ask what applies to them — mixing up the rules is a common trap on reading comprehension questions.
- Today is Thursday, November 14. Ana brings her lunch from home every day. What must Ana do if she wants to eat the Thanksgiving lunch at school?
Answer: Ana must sign up and pay $4.00 for a ticket before the end of Friday, November 15
When reading an announcement like this one, your job is to find the rule that applies to the specific person in the question. Not every student follows the same rules — so you need to match Ana's situation to the correct instructions.
Ana brings her lunch from home, which means she is not on the regular meal plan. The announcement clearly states that students who bring lunch from home must sign up by Friday, November 15 and pay $4.00 for a ticket. Since today is Thursday, November 14, Ana still has time — but she must act before that Friday deadline.
That makes C the correct answer: Ana must sign up and pay $4.00 before the end of Friday, November 15.
A is wrong because the announcement specifically says students cannot buy a ticket at the door if they miss the sign-up deadline. This is a trap — it sounds convenient, but the passage rules it out.
B is wrong because the "no action needed" rule only applies to students who already buy lunch through the meal plan. Ana brings her lunch from home, so this rule does not apply to her.
D is wrong for two reasons: the deadline is November 15, not November 20, and payment must happen when signing up — not when arriving at the cafeteria.
Study tip: When a passage has different rules for different groups of people, always identify which group the person in the question belongs to before you choose your answer. This prevents you from picking a rule meant for someone else.
- It is currently 9:00 AM on Wednesday, December 25. An employee realizes she left an important file at the office and needs it today. What does the announcement say she must do to enter the building?
Answer: She cannot get into the building today because she would have needed written permission from her department head before 9:00 AM yesterday
When reading workplace announcements, pay close attention to deadlines and conditions — these details often determine whether an action is possible at all.
The announcement states that employees who need building access on closed days must get written permission from their department head "at least 24 hours in advance." December 25 is a closed day. Since it is currently 9:00 AM on December 25, the employee would have needed to submit her request at least 24 hours earlier — meaning no later than 9:00 AM on December 24. That deadline has already passed, making it impossible for her to follow the required process today. Answer A correctly captures this: she cannot enter the building because the 24-hour advance requirement cannot be met after the fact.
Answer B is tempting but wrong — it ignores the "at least 24 hours in advance" rule entirely. She cannot simply get permission today and walk in immediately. Answer C contains a common trap: the building does open at 8:00 AM on December 23 and 24, but December 25 is listed as a CLOSED day, so those hours do not apply. Answer D introduces the idea of "calling security," which the announcement never mentions. The announcement says nothing about weekends or a different process for any day — this detail was invented.
A useful study tip: when an announcement includes a condition with a time requirement (like "24 hours in advance"), always calculate whether that window has already closed based on the scenario's current time. This type of detail is frequently tested in reading comprehension questions.
- Today is Sunday, September 7. Fatima wants to register for the English class. She has her photo ID but cannot find proof of address. What should Fatima do?
Answer: Fatima should find her proof of address and then go to the community center on a weekday or Saturday to register
When reading an announcement like this, your job is to find the rules — what is required, when it is open, and who can use it. Then match those rules to the person's situation.
The announcement states two clear requirements for registration: a photo ID and proof of address. It also states that registration is open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Fatima is missing one of the two required documents, so she cannot register yet — she must first find her proof of address. Once she has both documents, she can visit the front desk on any weekday or Saturday during open hours. This makes B the correct answer. It follows both rules: gather the right documents, then go during registration hours.
A is wrong for two reasons: the community center is not open for registration on Sundays, and Fatima still lacks proof of address. Going today with only a photo ID would not be enough to register. C is wrong because the announcement clearly says registration happens at the front desk — not in the classroom. Arriving at Tuesday's class does not mean she can register there. D is wrong because the announcement says nothing about holding spots by phone. Never assume a service exists if the passage does not mention it.
A helpful strategy: on reading comprehension questions, underline or mentally note every requirement and every time/day restriction in the passage. Wrong answers often violate one of these rules. If the passage doesn't say it, don't assume it's an option.
- Maria has a swim class every Saturday at 9:00 AM. According to the announcement, when should she go to her next class?
Answer: Monday, March 17, at 9:00 AM
When you read an announcement like this one, focus on finding specific details — especially changes to schedules. The question asks what Maria should do based on the announcement, so you need to locate the sentences that describe what happens to Saturday swim classes.
The announcement clearly states: "All swim classes scheduled for Saturday will be moved to Monday, March 17, at the same time." Maria's class is at 9:00 AM on Saturdays. Since it moves to Monday at the same time, she should go on Monday, March 17, at 9:00 AM. That makes C the correct answer.
Here is why the other choices are wrong. A is tempting because 9:00 AM Saturday is Maria's regular schedule — but the whole point of the announcement is that Saturday is closed for repairs. Going on Saturday means she cannot swim at all. B confuses two separate pieces of information: 10:00 AM Sunday is when the pool reopens, not when swim classes restart. The announcement treats these as different things. D combines wrong information from both wrong answers — it uses Monday (partially correct) but changes the time to 10:00 AM, which was never mentioned for classes. The announcement specifically says classes move to "the same time," meaning 9:00 AM.
A useful strategy: when an announcement gives multiple times and dates, slow down and match each detail to its purpose. Ask yourself, "Which time goes with which event?" On beginner ESL reading questions, the most common trap is mixing up details that appear close together in the text.
- Luis has an overdue library book. It is Saturday, December 14. What does Luis need to do to get his report card?
Answer: Luis should return his book to the library on a school day, and then go to the main office during office hours to get his report card
When reading announcements like this one, your job is to find all the rules that apply to the specific person in the question — and make sure every condition is met before choosing an answer.
Luis has an overdue book, so the announcement tells us he must do two things: (1) return the book to the library, and (2) pick up his report card from the main office. But there's a third detail you can't ignore — the main office is only open Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Since it is currently Saturday, December 14, the office is closed today. That means Luis must wait until a school day to complete both steps. Answer A captures all of this correctly: return the book on a school day, then visit the main office during office hours.
Answer B sounds reasonable at first, but it ignores the office hours. The main office is not open on Saturdays, so Luis cannot pick up his report card today. Answer C applies the wrong rule — mailing the report card is only for students without overdue books. Since Luis has an overdue book, his card was not mailed. Answer D is tempting because calling seems helpful, but the announcement says nothing about calling or mailing the card after the book is returned. You should only use information given in the passage.
A useful strategy: on reading comprehension questions, underline every condition and detail about a specific person. If an answer choice ignores even one condition, it's likely wrong.
- An employee parks in the public lot on Oak Street for the two weeks. What does the announcement say about the parking fees?
Answer: The employee must pay the parking fees at the public lot and will not get that money back from the company
When reading workplace announcements, pay close attention to words about money — especially words like "reimburse," which means to pay someone back for money they already spent. The key sentence here is: "the company will NOT reimburse parking fees for the public lot." This tells you clearly that employees must pay out of their own pocket and will not receive that money back from the company. That makes B the correct answer — the employee pays the fees and does not get reimbursed.
Now let's look at why the other choices are wrong. A says the company will pay all parking fees, but the announcement says the exact opposite — the company will not reimburse anything. This is a direct contradiction. C claims parking at the public lot is free for employees, but the announcement never says that — it only says the company won't pay, which actually implies there are fees to worry about. D mentions the company will reimburse half the fees if employees save receipts, but this detail appears nowhere in the announcement. This is a classic trap: answer choices sometimes sound reasonable or helpful, but if the passage doesn't say it, it isn't correct.
A useful strategy for these questions: when you see a word you don't know — like "reimburse" — look at the surrounding words for clues. Here, "will NOT reimburse parking fees" pairs a negative word with a money word, signaling that someone is not getting paid back. Always read financial and policy details in announcements extra carefully, since those are often exactly what the question tests.
- Eight-year-old Ben wants to volunteer with his 16-year-old brother, Marco. Marco plans to work from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM and then leave. Which statement is correct?
Answer: Ben cannot volunteer because children under 12 must be with an adult, and a 16-year-old is not an adult
When reading a community announcement like this, your job is to carefully match each rule to each person involved. This question tests whether you can apply multiple conditions at the same time.
Let's look at the rules for Ben, who is 8 years old. The announcement states that children under 12 may participate only if accompanied by an adult. This means the key question is: does 16-year-old Marco count as an adult? In everyday life and in legal terms, an adult is typically a person who is 18 or older. Marco is 16, which makes him a minor, not an adult. Therefore, Ben cannot participate at all — which makes D the correct answer.
Now let's see why the other choices fail. A is wrong for two reasons: Ben cannot volunteer without a legal adult present, and Marco, who leaves at 10:00 AM, will not reach the two-hour minimum needed for the free lunch served at 12:00 PM (he works exactly two hours, but he won't be there at noon). B gets one thing right — neither qualifies for lunch — but it incorrectly assumes Ben can volunteer with Marco, ignoring the adult requirement. C makes the same mistake about Ben's eligibility and incorrectly claims Marco qualifies for lunch despite leaving at 10:00 AM, two hours before the meal.
A helpful strategy: when a passage has multiple rules, list them out and check each person against every rule, not just the first one that seems to fit. Missing one condition is the most common reading trap on questions like this.
- Carlos has a library card. He visits the sale on Sunday and picks up 3 books. How much does Carlos pay?
Answer: Carlos pays $0.50 because two books cost $0.25 each and one book is free with his library card
When reading announcements like this one, you need to gather all the rules that apply to your specific situation before doing any math. Here, two rules apply to Carlos: it's Sunday (so books cost $0.25 each), and he has a library card (so he gets one free book).
Carlos picks up 3 books. His library card covers 1 book for free, leaving 2 books to pay for at the Sunday price of $0.25 each:
2×$0.25=$0.50
That makes B the correct answer — Carlos pays $0.50.
Choice A is a common mistake. It correctly uses the Sunday price but ignores the library card benefit entirely, charging Carlos for all three books: 3×$0.25=$0.75. Always check whether a special membership or discount applies.
Choice C uses the wrong price. The $1.00 price is for Saturday only. On Sunday, all remaining books drop to $0.25. Reading carefully for words like "Sunday only" is essential.
Choice D misreads the library card rule. The announcement says card holders get one free book each day — not two. D incorrectly gives Carlos two free books, leaving only one book to pay for at $0.25.
Study tip: When a passage contains multiple rules (day-specific pricing, membership perks, time limits), make a quick mental checklist of which rules apply to the specific person or situation in the question. Missing even one condition leads you straight to a wrong answer. - A student reads this announcement. Which statement is TRUE?
Answer: Students do not have to come on Saturday, but they can if they want extra help
When reading announcements like this one, your job is to find exactly what the text says — not what you assume or expect. School announcements often contain key words like "optional," "required," or "must" that change the meaning completely.
Look at the announcement carefully. It says Saturday attendance is "optional" — that single word is the key to this question. Optional means students can choose to come, but they are not required to. The Saturday session exists only to help students who want extra support. This makes C the correct answer: students don't have to come on Saturday, but they may if they want help.
Now let's look at why the other choices are wrong. A says all students must come Saturday to "make up" for Friday — but the announcement never uses the word "must," and it clearly states attendance is optional, not required. B says school is closed both Friday and Saturday — this is half right (Friday is closed) but half wrong, because the announcement tells us school is open Saturday. Mixing true and false information is a common trap in multiple-choice questions. D says Saturday is open for "all regular classes, just like a normal school day" — but the announcement says it's only for students needing extra help, from 8 AM to noon, which is shorter than a regular school day.
Study tip: Watch for words like optional, required, must, and can in reading passages. These small words carry big meaning and are often the difference between the right answer and a trap.
