Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz: Transportation Routes And Schedules
8 questions · exam conditions
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Transportation Routes And SchedulesQuestion 1 of 8

A student wants to ask a transit worker whether she needs to transfer to a different train to reach her destination. Which question is MOST appropriate for this situation?

"Do I need to change trains anywhere to get to Central Station, or does this train go there directly?"
"What is the name of the next station that this train will stop at along its current route?"
"How long has this train line been operating in this city and when was it last updated?"
"Can you tell me if the seats in the front car of this train are reserved for any special passengers?"
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Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz: Transportation Routes And Schedules

Practice Transportation Routes And Schedules in Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Transportation Routes And Schedules, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

A student wants to ask a transit worker whether she needs to transfer to a different train to reach her destination. Which question is MOST appropriate for this situation?

  1. "Do I need to change trains anywhere to get to Central Station, or does this train go there directly?" (correct answer)
  2. "What is the name of the next station that this train will stop at along its current route?"
  3. "How long has this train line been operating in this city and when was it last updated?"
  4. "Can you tell me if the seats in the front car of this train are reserved for any special passengers?"
Explanation: When you need help from a transit worker, the most important skill is matching your question to your actual need. Ask yourself: "What information do I need right now?" The student needs to know if she must switch trains to reach her destination — so the ideal question should mention transferring (or changing trains) and her specific stop. Choice A does exactly this. It asks whether she needs to "change trains" to reach Central Station or if the current train goes there directly. This question is clear, specific, and gives the worker everything needed to help her efficiently. It uses simple, natural English that any transit worker will understand immediately. A is the correct answer. Choice B asks about the next station name — useful if you're lost on the route, but it doesn't address whether a transfer is needed. It answers a different question entirely. Choice C asks about the history of the train line — when it started and when it was updated. This is completely unrelated to reaching a destination and would likely confuse or frustrate a busy transit worker. Choice D asks about reserved seating in the front car. Again, this has nothing to do with transferring trains or reaching Central Station. It's a different topic altogether. A helpful strategy: before choosing your answer, identify the core need in the situation — here, it's "do I need to transfer?" Then find the question that addresses only that need. On this exam, wrong choices often ask something true but irrelevant, so always check that the question matches the situation.

Question 2

Rosa is asking a bus driver for help. She says: "I need to get to Pine Street Library. Is this the right bus?" The driver says: "This bus goes to Pine Street, but not to the library side. You'll want the 44 bus — same street, other direction. The 44 stops across the street from here every 20 minutes. The last one today is at 5:40 PM. It's 5:10 now."

Rosa wants to take the 44 bus today. How many more times can the 44 bus still come to that stop before its last run?

  1. One time, because the only bus remaining is the 5:40 PM bus — there is no bus scheduled between 5:10 PM and 5:40 PM.
  2. Zero times, because it is already past 5:00 PM and the afternoon schedule has ended for the day.
  3. Three times, because starting right now the bus will come at 5:10 PM, 5:30 PM, and 5:50 PM before ending service.
  4. Two times, because buses come every 20 minutes, so the 44 bus will arrive at 5:30 PM and again at 5:40 PM before service ends. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a question gives you a start time, an end time, and a frequency, your job is to count how many times something happens within that window — not including the moment you're already at. It's 5:10 PM right now, and the 44 bus runs every 20 minutes with a final run at 5:40 PM. Starting from 5:10, add 20 minutes: that's 5:30 PM. Add another 20 minutes: that's 5:50 PM — but wait, that's past the last run at 5:40. So the only valid arrivals still coming are 5:30 PM and 5:40 PM, which is exactly two more times. That makes D correct. Choice A is close but wrong in a subtle way. It says there's no bus between 5:10 and 5:40 — but there is! A bus running every 20 minutes starting from 5:10 will arrive at 5:30, which fits perfectly between those two times. A missed that middle stop. Choice B is simply incorrect. The passage never says afternoon service has ended, and the driver specifically tells Rosa the last bus is at 5:40 — which hasn't happened yet. Choice C counts 5:10 PM itself as an upcoming bus, but Rosa is already at the stop at 5:10. That bus either just left or isn't coming — it's the current moment, not a future arrival. C also includes 5:50 PM, which is after the 5:40 last run. Strategy tip: When counting future events, start your count after the current time, not at it. The question asks how many times the bus will "still come," meaning what's ahead — not what's happening right now.

Question 3

Carlos is on the subway. He hears this announcement: "Attention passengers: Due to construction, the uptown 6 train will not stop at 33rd Street or 42nd Street today. All passengers needing those stops should exit at 28th Street and take the free shuttle bus to their destination."

Carlos needs to go to 42nd Street. He is currently at 23rd Street. What should he do FIRST according to the announcement?

  1. Exit at 28th Street, which is the next stop, and then take the free shuttle bus to reach 42nd Street. (correct answer)
  2. Stay on the 6 train and ride past 33rd Street, then exit at 42nd Street as planned because the announcement may not apply to his train.
  3. Exit at 33rd Street, which is the closest skipped stop, and walk the remaining distance to 42nd Street from there.
  4. Ride the 6 train past 42nd Street to the next available stop, then transfer to a downtown train back to 42nd Street.
Explanation: When you hear a public announcement, your job is to find the key instructions and match them to your specific situation. Here, the announcement gives you a clear "if-then" rule: if you need 33rd or 42nd Street, then exit at 28th Street and take the free shuttle. Carlos needs 42nd Street and is currently at 23rd Street. The very next relevant stop heading uptown is 28th Street — exactly where the announcement tells affected passengers to exit. So the correct first step is A: exit at 28th Street and take the free shuttle bus. This follows the announcement directly and gets Carlos to his destination. B is a trap because it assumes the announcement "may not apply" — but the announcement says clearly that the 6 train will not stop at those stations today. There is no reason to doubt it. Staying on the train means Carlos will simply pass 42nd Street without stopping. C sounds logical at first — 33rd Street is closer to 42nd Street — but the announcement says to exit at 28th Street, not 33rd. Also, 33rd Street is one of the skipped stops, so the train won't stop there either. Carlos cannot exit at a stop the train isn't making. D has Carlos riding past his destination and then doubling back, which is unnecessary, time-consuming, and not what the announcement instructs. Study tip: On reading comprehension questions, always go back to the text. If an announcement or sign gives you a specific instruction, trust it over your own assumptions about what "might" be faster or easier.

Question 4

Bus Schedule — Route 9 (Weekdays only): Leaves Downtown: 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:30 AM Leaves Downtown: 9:00 AM, then every 45 minutes after that. Last bus: 6:00 PM

Tomas arrives at the Downtown stop at 9:20 AM on a Tuesday. He just missed the 9:00 AM bus. What time is the NEXT bus he can take?

  1. 9:30 AM, because buses run every 30 minutes after 9:00 AM on weekdays.
  2. 9:45 AM, because the next bus comes 45 minutes after 9:00 AM according to the schedule. (correct answer)
  3. 10:00 AM, because after 9:00 AM buses run every hour on the hour.
  4. 10:05 AM, because Tomas arrived 20 minutes late so he must wait 45 more minutes from his arrival time.
Explanation: When reading a bus schedule, your job is to find the exact rule the schedule gives you and apply it carefully — don't assume buses follow a pattern they didn't state. The schedule clearly says buses leave Downtown at 9:00 AM, then every 45 minutes after that. So to find the next bus after 9:00 AM, you simply add 45 minutes: 9:00 AM+45 min=9:45 AM9{:}00 \text{ AM} + 45 \text{ min} = 9{:}45 \text{ AM}. Tomas arrives at 9:20 AM, which is after the 9:00 AM bus but before 9:45 AM, so B is correct — he waits for the 9:45 AM bus. Here's why the other choices lead you astray. A says buses run every 30 minutes after 9:00 AM, but the schedule never says 30 minutes — this is a made-up interval. C claims buses run every hour on the hour after 9:00 AM, which would mean 10:00 AM is next, but again, the schedule says 45 minutes, not 60. D makes a classic math error: it adds 45 minutes to Tomas's arrival time (9:20 AM) instead of to the last scheduled departure (9:00 AM). Bus schedules are fixed — they don't reset based on when you arrive. Study tip: On schedule-reading questions, always go back to the exact words. Phrases like "every 45 minutes after that" mean you count from the last listed time on the schedule, not from when the passenger shows up. Underline the key rule as you read.

Question 5

Maria is at the bus stop. She asks a stranger: "Excuse me, does this bus go to City Hall?" The stranger says, "No, you need to take the 14 bus. Transfer at Oak Street Station to the 22 bus. Get off at the third stop after the transfer."

Maria is now on the 22 bus after transferring at Oak Street Station. How many stops does she ride before getting off for City Hall?

  1. She rides one stop and gets off at the next station after Oak Street.
  2. She rides two stops and gets off when she sees the City Hall sign at the second stop.
  3. She rides three stops and gets off at the third stop after the transfer point. (correct answer)
  4. She rides four stops because she must count Oak Street Station as the first stop on the route.
Explanation: When you follow directions that say "get off at the third stop," the key question is: where does your counting begin? You start counting after the transfer point — the transfer station itself is not stop one. The stranger tells Maria to "get off at the third stop after the transfer." Maria transfers at Oak Street Station, then boards the 22 bus. From there, she counts three stops along the route: stop one, stop two, stop three — and she exits at that third stop. That makes C the correct answer. A is wrong because it says Maria rides only one stop. The directions never say "the next station" — that would be stop one, not stop three. Riding just one stop would leave Maria far from City Hall. B is wrong for a similar reason. Exiting at the second stop means Maria counts only two stops after transferring. There is also no mention of a "City Hall sign" anywhere in the passage — B adds details that don't exist. D contains a common trap: counting the transfer station itself as the first stop. Oak Street Station is where Maria switches buses, not where she begins counting stops on the 22 bus. If she counted Oak Street as stop one, she would get off one stop too early. A helpful strategy: whenever directions say "after" a certain point, that point is your zero — you start counting from the next stop. Watch for answer choices that either under-count, over-count, or sneak in invented details not found in the passage.

Question 6

A man calls the transit information line. The operator says: "The Green Line goes north toward the airport. The Blue Line goes south toward the beach. To get to the hospital from here, take the Green Line two stops, then transfer to the Red Line going east. The hospital is the first stop on the Red Line after the transfer."

The man wants to go to the hospital. He gets on a train going south. What mistake is he making?

  1. He is on the correct train because going south on the Blue Line will eventually connect to the Red Line near the hospital.
  2. He is going in the wrong direction because he needs to go north on the Green Line first, not south on the Blue Line. (correct answer)
  3. He made the right choice because the hospital is south of his starting point and the Blue Line goes south.
  4. He is wrong only about the number of stops — he should ride three stops south, not two stops north.
Explanation: When answering questions about following directions, your job is to compare what the instructions say with what the person actually does — and find exactly where they went wrong. The operator gave clear, step-by-step directions: take the Green Line north for two stops, then transfer to the Red Line going east. The hospital is the first stop after that transfer. The man, however, boards a train going south — which means he is on the Blue Line, heading toward the beach, completely away from his destination. Answer B is correct because it identifies both errors precisely: he is going the wrong direction (south instead of north) and on the wrong line (Blue instead of Green). Answer A is a trap. It sounds logical because train lines sometimes connect, but the passage never says the Blue Line connects to the Red Line near the hospital. You cannot assume information that is not given. Answer C makes the same mistake — it assumes the hospital is south because the man chose to go south, but the passage says the hospital is reached by going north first. The man's choice does not make the direction correct. Answer D tries to make the error seem small — just a wrong number of stops — but the problem is far bigger than that. He is on the entirely wrong line going the entirely wrong direction. Study tip: On direction-following questions, always go back to the original instructions and match each detail — line name, direction, and number of stops — against what the person actually did. One wrong detail can mean a completely wrong destination.

Question 7

Lin is on the phone with a bus information line. The operator says: "The 30 bus leaves the Transit Center at 8:15 AM and arrives at Harbor Park at 8:52 AM. The 31 bus leaves the Transit Center at 8:30 AM and arrives at Harbor Park at 9:05 AM." Lin says, "I need to be at Harbor Park before 9:00 AM."

Which bus should Lin take, and what time will she arrive at Harbor Park?

  1. The 31 bus, leaving at 8:30 AM, arriving at Harbor Park at 9:05 AM, which is after her 9:00 AM deadline and does not meet her requirement.
  2. The 30 bus, leaving at 8:15 AM, arriving at Harbor Park at 9:05 AM, which means it does not get her there before her deadline.
  3. The 31 bus, leaving at 8:30 AM, arriving at Harbor Park at 8:52 AM, because it leaves later but still arrives before 9:00 AM.
  4. The 30 bus, leaving at 8:15 AM, arriving at Harbor Park at 8:52 AM, which is before her 9:00 AM deadline. (correct answer)
Explanation: When answering a question like this, your job is to match information carefully — find the schedule details for each bus, then compare them to the person's requirement. Lin needs to arrive at Harbor Park before 9:00 AM, so you're looking for the bus that arrives earliest enough to meet that deadline. Looking at the operator's information: the 30 bus leaves at 8:15 AM and arrives at 8:52 AM. The 31 bus leaves at 8:30 AM and arrives at 9:05 AM. Since 8:52 AM is before 9:00 AM, and 9:05 AM is after 9:00 AM, only the 30 bus meets Lin's requirement. That makes D correct — the 30 bus, leaving at 8:15 AM and arriving at 8:52 AM, gets Lin there 8 minutes before her deadline. Choice A is wrong because it correctly identifies the 31 bus's arrival time (9:05 AM) but recommends a bus that misses Lin's deadline — it even says so within the answer, which should be a warning sign. Choice B mixes up the arrival times: the 30 bus arrives at 8:52 AM, not 9:05 AM — that arrival time belongs to the 31 bus. Choice C swaps the arrival times between the two buses, incorrectly claiming the 31 bus arrives at 8:52 AM. A useful strategy: when answer choices contain specific numbers, go back to the passage and verify each detail before choosing. Wrong answers on schedule questions often swap times between options to test whether you read carefully.

Question 8

A woman at a bus stop wants to confirm she is in the right place. Which sentence BEST shows her asking for confirmation about her route?

  1. "When does the number 5 bus usually arrive at this stop on a weekday morning?"
  2. "How much does it cost to ride the bus to the downtown area from this location?"
  3. "Does this bus stop here, or do I need to go to a different stop to catch the downtown bus?" (correct answer)
  4. "Is the driver of the number 5 bus the same person who drives it every day?"
Explanation: When someone wants confirmation, they are checking whether something is true or correct — not gathering new information. At a bus stop, confirming your route means asking "Am I in the right place?" rather than asking about schedules, prices, or drivers. Keep this distinction in mind whenever a question asks about confirmation versus information-gathering. Choice C — "Does this bus stop here, or do I need to go to a different stop to catch the downtown bus?" — is the best answer because the woman is directly checking whether her current location is correct for her route. She already knows her destination (downtown) and simply needs to verify she is standing in the right spot. That is the essence of asking for confirmation. Choice A asks about arrival times on weekday mornings. This is a scheduling question — she is requesting new information, not confirming her location. Choice B asks about the fare from her current stop to downtown. Again, this is an information-gathering question about cost, which has nothing to do with confirming her route. Choice D asks whether the same driver operates the bus every day. This is a personal curiosity question about staffing — completely unrelated to confirming she is at the correct stop. A helpful tip: when you see the word "confirm" or "confirmation" in a question, look for the answer choice where the speaker is checking or verifying something they already partially know — not learning something brand new. In C, the woman knows her destination; she just needs a yes-or-no check on her location. That structure signals confirmation every time.