Thesis: Previewing Reasoning or Structure Practice Test
•15 QuestionsRead the student-written argumentative passage below, then answer the question.
Our public library is deciding whether to eliminate late fees. Some residents think fees teach responsibility, but what they really teach is avoidance. If you owe ten dollars, you stop coming in. That means the library loses the very people it is supposed to serve: kids who need books, families who need internet, and job seekers who need quiet space.
Late fees also cost the library money to enforce. Staff time goes toward awkward conversations at the desk, and the library sends notices that are printed, mailed, and tracked. Meanwhile, the fees collected are often a small slice of the budget compared to city funding. It’s strange that we treat a minor revenue stream like a moral pillar.
People worry that without fees, no one will return materials. But many libraries that removed late fees report that return rates stay similar, and sometimes improve, because patrons aren’t embarrassed to come back. The real consequence for not returning a book is already built in: you can’t check out more items. That’s a natural limit that doesn’t punish a family for one chaotic week.
A library is not a store. Its purpose is access, and policies should match that purpose. If we want a community that reads, we should remove barriers that keep people away.
Which revision of the bolded thesis best previews the reasoning that follows?
The library should get rid of late fees.
Read the student-written argumentative passage below, then answer the question.
Our public library is deciding whether to eliminate late fees. Some residents think fees teach responsibility, but what they really teach is avoidance. If you owe ten dollars, you stop coming in. That means the library loses the very people it is supposed to serve: kids who need books, families who need internet, and job seekers who need quiet space.
Late fees also cost the library money to enforce. Staff time goes toward awkward conversations at the desk, and the library sends notices that are printed, mailed, and tracked. Meanwhile, the fees collected are often a small slice of the budget compared to city funding. It’s strange that we treat a minor revenue stream like a moral pillar.
People worry that without fees, no one will return materials. But many libraries that removed late fees report that return rates stay similar, and sometimes improve, because patrons aren’t embarrassed to come back. The real consequence for not returning a book is already built in: you can’t check out more items. That’s a natural limit that doesn’t punish a family for one chaotic week.
A library is not a store. Its purpose is access, and policies should match that purpose. If we want a community that reads, we should remove barriers that keep people away.
Which revision of the bolded thesis best previews the reasoning that follows?
The library should get rid of late fees.