Room to Ride: Reading the Author’s Position

Examine how an argument uses details, word choice, and organization to persuade.

Identify the Position

Read the article. Choose each answer, then examine the evidence that supports it.

A Lane Should Lead Somewhere

1A trip across town can be short on a map and difficult on a bicycle. A rider may follow a marked lane for several blocks, only to reach a busy intersection where the lane disappears. The destination has not moved, but the route suddenly demands more confidence. For someone deciding whether to ride, that missing connection can matter more than the distance.

2Bike lanes designate space for bicycle travel. Some use painted lines; others include a buffer or a physical barrier between riders and moving cars. Their designs vary because streets have different widths, speeds, and uses. Towns should add bike lanes where they connect useful destinations, rather than treating a few isolated strips of paint as a finished transportation system.

3Connected lanes can give residents another way to reach schools, workplaces, shops, and recreation centers. Not every trip requires carrying heavy supplies or traveling a long distance. A bicycle can suit some of those shorter journeys. When a route ends before a difficult crossing, however, its usefulness shrinks. A chain with a missing link cannot do the same job as a complete one.

4Street space is limited. Adding a lane may mean changing parking, loading areas, or the space available for moving vehicles. A shop owner who needs deliveries is raising a practical concern, not simply resisting change. Planners should map delivery needs and consult residents before choosing a design. A useful bicycle route should not make an essential delivery impossible.

5Good planning also reaches beyond drawing lines. Intersections require careful attention because travelers moving in different directions meet there. Lane markings need maintenance, and routes need signs that people can understand. Towns can begin with a connected route between several destinations, observe how it works, and adjust the design. Counting painted miles alone would reward length while overlooking whether people can complete a trip.

6A bicycle will not suit every traveler or every journey. That is a reason to preserve choices, not a reason to leave riders with disconnected scraps of space. Before approving the next street project, residents should ask where its bicycle route leads and how it joins the next one. A town's transportation plan should offer more than a promising start.

Which statement best describes the author's position on adding bike lanes?

A. Towns should extend painted lanes before considering where riders need to go.
B. Towns should leave bicycle travel out of projects that involve busy streets.
C. Towns should add connected lanes that help riders reach useful destinations.
D. Towns should make bicycle travel the main choice for carrying heavy supplies.

Underline the sentence from paragraph 2 that most directly states the position identified in question 1.

Bike lanes designate space for bicycle travel.Some use painted lines; others include a buffer or a physical barrier between riders and moving cars.Their designs vary because streets have different widths, speeds, and uses.Towns should add bike lanes where they connect useful destinations, rather than treating a few isolated strips of paint as a finished transportation system.

What is the author's main purpose in writing this article?

A. To persuade readers to support bike lanes planned as connected routes.
B. To teach readers the steps for painting and maintaining bike lanes.
C. To describe how bicycle transportation developed in different towns.
D. To compare bicycle travel and car travel without recommending changes.

Which detail most clearly supports the purpose identified in question 3?

A. Paragraph 2 explains that some lanes use paint and others include physical barriers.
B. Paragraph 4 notes that street space also serves parking and moving vehicles.
C. Paragraph 5 explains that travelers meet at intersections while moving in different directions.
D. Paragraph 6 urges residents to ask how a proposed route joins the next one.

Examine the Author's Choices

Consider how the author presents concerns, chooses language, and organizes the argument.

How does the author treat concerns about deliveries in paragraph 4?

A. As evidence that bike lanes belong only near recreation centers.
B. As reasonable needs that planners should include in their decisions.
C. As problems that shop owners should solve after construction ends.
D. As reasons to measure new routes mainly by their total length.

Underline the sentence from paragraph 4 that most directly shows the author's respectful attitude toward a shop owner's concern.

Street space is limited.Adding a lane may mean changing parking, loading areas, or the space available for moving vehicles.A shop owner who needs deliveries is raising a practical concern, not simply resisting change.Planners should map delivery needs and consult residents before choosing a design.A useful bicycle route should not make an essential delivery impossible.

Why does the author compare a bicycle route to a chain in paragraph 3?

A. To suggest that bicycle equipment matters more than street design.
B. To explain that short journeys require less effort than long ones.
C. To show that a gap can weaken the usefulness of a whole route.
D. To argue that separate lanes can serve unrelated destinations well.

Which sentence from paragraph 3 most directly connects the chain comparison to the author's concern about incomplete routes?

A. “When a route ends before a difficult crossing, however, its usefulness shrinks.”
B. “Connected lanes can give residents another way to reach schools, workplaces, shops, and recreation centers.”
C. “Not every trip requires carrying heavy supplies or traveling a long distance.”
D. “A bicycle can suit some of those shorter journeys.”

How does the opening paragraph help advance the author's argument?

A. It reviews the history of road design before recommending a modern alternative.
B. It lists competing transportation costs before choosing the least expensive option.
C. It explains lane maintenance before asking residents to volunteer for repairs.
D. It presents a rider's difficulty before proposing more connected bicycle routes.

10.

Underline the sentence from paragraph 1 that introduces the specific route problem described in question 9.

A trip across town can be short on a map and difficult on a bicycle.A rider may follow a marked lane for several blocks, only to reach a busy intersection where the lane disappears.The destination has not moved, but the route suddenly demands more confidence.For someone deciding whether to ride, that missing connection can matter more than the distance.

Explain How the Argument Works

Distinguish the author's methods, then support your explanations with details from the article.

11.

Match each detail to its main role in conveying the author's point of view. Use each role once.

Paragraph 2 defines bike lanes and describes several designs.
Paragraph 4 recognizes that deliveries need street space.
Paragraph 5 proposes observing a connected route and adjusting it.
Paragraph 6 asks residents to question how proposed routes connect.

A. Offers a practical way to carry out the recommendation.
B. Asks readers to take action on the issue.
C. Provides background readers need to understand the proposal.
D. Acknowledges a competing need that deserves consideration.

12.

A reader says, “The author supports bike lanes, so mentioning delivery problems weakens the argument.” Explain why the author might include those problems to make the argument more convincing. Use details from paragraph 4.

13.

In paragraph 6, the author calls disconnected lanes “scraps of space.” How does that phrase convey a point of view rather than simply describe the lanes? Connect your explanation to one other detail in the article.