How a Delivery Team Improved Its Routes
About this practice test
A workplace improvement report describes how a delivery team used observation, route grouping, traffic information and flexible planning to reduce delays and make drivers’ work calmer.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
2 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Cloze (dropdown)
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
How a Delivery Team Improved Its Routes
The delivery team at Riverside Parcel had one regular problem: too many parcels reached customers late. The drivers were careful, but their routes were based on habit, not on clear planning. Sam, the dispatcher, noticed that two vans often crossed the same streets and sometimes visited the same neighbourhood twice. He asked the team to keep short notes for two weeks, and the pattern was obvious. Several drivers took long detours just to avoid a busy road, even when that road was faster at certain hours. Others waited too long before phoning in delays, so the office could not adjust the route in time. The team agreed to try a different method, although some people worried that it would take longer to prepare each morning. First, they grouped deliveries by neighbourhood and by time window, instead of by the order in which parcels had arrived. That reduced backtracking. They also shared updates by phone during the day, so the dispatcher could move one van to a different area if traffic changed. After that, they tested a planning tool that used a digital map and traffic data. The tool suggested earlier starts for the suburbs and later departures for the centre. Lena, one driver, noticed that a road which looked quick on a map was actually slow during school time, so the team avoided it after 7:30 a.m. They also left one van near the shopping streets at lunch, because several short drops could be done on foot instead of by driving across town. After three weeks, the results were clear. Fuel use fell, the drivers finished earlier, and customers began to get parcels in a more predictable order. The manager said the biggest lesson was that better routes came from simple observation, not expensive equipment alone. The team kept checking customer comments and changed plans whenever roads were closed or a new building caused extra traffic. The drivers liked that they spent less time circling, and most of them said the new system made work calmer. A few still missed the old routine, but even they admitted that the handovers were more careful and the day felt less rushed.
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Question 1 · Cloze (dropdown)
Choose the correct option for each blank.
Complete the summary below by choosing the correct option for each gap. The delivery team first reduced delays by reducing unnecessary 1___. They grouped parcels by neighbourhood and time window and shared 2___ during the day. Next, they used a planning tool with a digital map and 3___. This helped them change starting times and avoid a road that was slow during 4___. They also parked one van near the shops so some deliveries could be made 5___.
Return to the passage, recording or visualChoices for blank 1
- pauses
- backtracking
- packages
- complaints
Choices for blank 2
- apologies
- updates
- uniforms
- invoices
Choices for blank 3
- traffic data
- weather reports
- customer names
- fuel bills
Choices for blank 4
- school time
- the night
- weekends
- lunchtime
Choices for blank 5
- by taxi
- at once
- after dark
- on foot
Check answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- backtracking
- Blank 2
- updates
- Blank 3
- traffic data
- Blank 4
- school time
- Blank 5
- on foot
Gap 1: The answer is backtracking because grouping deliveries by neighbourhood and time window reduced backtracking. Gap 2: The answer is updates because the team shared updates by phone during the day. Gap 3: The answer is traffic data because the planning tool used a digital map and traffic data. Gap 4: The answer is school time because one road was slow during school time. Gap 5: The answer is on foot because several short drops could be completed on foot.
First, they grouped deliveries by neighbourhood and by time window, instead of by the order in which parcels had arrived. That reduced backtracking
They also shared updates by phone during the day, so the dispatcher could move one van to a different area if traffic changed. After that, they tested a planning tool that used a digital map and traffic data
Lena, one driver, noticed that a road which looked quick on a map was actually slow during school time, so the team avoided it after 7:30 a.m. They also left one van near the shopping streets at lunch, because several short drops could be done on foot instead of by driving across town
pauses: Incorrect: the text is about extra distance, not short stops.
backtracking: Grouping deliveries by neighbourhood and time window reduced backtracking.
packages: Incorrect: the problem was route choice, not the parcels themselves.
complaints: Incorrect: complaints are not what the passage says they reduced.
apologies: Incorrect: the passage refers to information, not apologies.
updates: Correct: they shared updates by phone during the day.
uniforms: Incorrect: uniforms are never mentioned.
invoices: Incorrect: invoices are not part of the route change.
traffic data: Correct: the planning tool used traffic data.
weather reports: Incorrect: weather reports are not the focus of the tool.
customer names: Incorrect: the tool used route information, not names.
fuel bills: Incorrect: fuel bills are mentioned nowhere as input for the tool.
school time: Correct: the road was slow during school time.
the night: Incorrect: the passage does not say the road was slow at night.
weekends: Incorrect: weekends are not mentioned here.
lunchtime: Incorrect: lunchtime is used for a different route decision.
by taxi: Incorrect: taxis are never mentioned.
at once: Incorrect: the point is about walking, not speed alone.
after dark: Incorrect: this does not fit the passage meaning.
on foot: Correct: the team said some short drops could be done on foot.
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Question 2 · Cloze (dropdown)
Choose the correct option for each blank.
Complete the summary below by choosing the correct option for each gap. The manager thought the best improvement came from 1___, not from costly equipment. The team kept checking customer comments and changed routes when roads 2___ or a new building caused extra traffic. In the end, parcels arrived in a more 3___ order, drivers felt 4___, and the whole day became 5___.
Return to the passage, recording or visualChoices for blank 1
- simple observation
- longer shifts
- new uniforms
- fewer customers
Choices for blank 2
- were painted
- were closed
- were widened
- became quiet
Choices for blank 3
- random
- crowded
- expensive
- predictable
Choices for blank 4
- better paid
- more exhausted
- calmer
- more rushed
Choices for blank 5
- noisier
- less rushed
- longer
- harder
Check answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- simple observation
- Blank 2
- were closed
- Blank 3
- predictable
- Blank 4
- calmer
- Blank 5
- less rushed
Gap 1: The answer is simple observation because the manager said better routes came from simple observation, not expensive equipment alone. Gap 2: The answer is were closed because the team changed plans whenever roads were closed. Gap 3: The answer is predictable because customers received parcels in a more predictable order. Gap 4: The answer is calmer because most drivers said the new system made work calmer. Gap 5: The answer is less rushed because even drivers who missed the old routine admitted that the day felt less rushed.
The manager said the biggest lesson was that better routes came from simple observation, not expensive equipment alone
The team kept checking customer comments and changed plans whenever roads were closed or a new building caused extra traffic
The drivers liked that they spent less time circling, and most of them said the new system made work calmer. A few still missed the old routine, but even they admitted that the handovers were more careful and the day felt less rushed
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.