Chicago River Bridge Stays Raised for More Than Four Hours, Disrupting Downtown Traffic

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

B2. 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

Single choice

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.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s main idea?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. A boat was permanently prevented from using the Chicago River.
   2. A bridge failure caused a prolonged and wider downtown traffic disruption.
   3. Chicago plans to replace all bridges over its waterways.
   4. Road traffic is generally more important than river transportation.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A bridge failure caused a prolonged and wider downtown traffic disruption.

   A routine bridge opening became a prolonged disruption with wider effects on downtown traffic.

   The situation shows how a small failure during an ordinary transportation procedure can produce wider consequences.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can readers infer about the bridge’s normal operation?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It normally remains raised throughout the day.
   2. It normally operates only when traffic is light.
   3. It normally returns to its regular position after opening.
   4. It normally prevents boats from traveling along the river.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It normally returns to its regular position after opening.

   The bridge usually changes position temporarily and then returns to normal.

   A bridge opening is normally a temporary change in traffic conditions.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the fourth paragraph, what does “The same bridge” refer to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The bridge over the Chicago River
   2. The boat traveling along the river
   3. The transportation system downtown
   4. The road crossing outside Chicago
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The bridge over the Chicago River

   The phrase refers to the bridge already described as serving roads and waterways.

   The same bridge must support road traffic while opening when a vessel needs to use the river.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article discuss roads and waterways together?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To compare Chicago with other cities
   2. To explain why the bridge has two important functions
   3. To prove that waterways cause most traffic delays
   4. To describe the boat’s complete route
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain why the bridge has two important functions

   It explains the competing transportation functions the bridge must accommodate.

   The incident also highlighted the competing demands placed on infrastructure in a city shaped by both roads and waterways.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How does the article organize its explanation?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. From historical background to future predictions
   2. From technical instructions to personal opinions
   3. From immediate events to broader consequences and limitations
   4. From several unrelated transportation stories to one conclusion
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   From immediate events to broader consequences and limitations

   It moves from the incident’s facts to its broader significance and stated limitations.

   The supplied report does not provide further details about what caused the bridge to remain stuck or when normal movement across it resumed.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why was the event especially disruptive?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The boat blocked several downtown roads.
   2. The bridge was unavailable long after its original purpose ended.
   3. Drivers were forbidden to travel anywhere in Chicago.
   4. The river became too crowded for normal transportation.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The bridge was unavailable long after its original purpose ended.

   The bridge remained unavailable long after the boat had already passed.

   The length of the delay made the event especially disruptive, because the bridge remained unavailable well after the boat’s passage.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which relationship does the article emphasize most clearly?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Short technical failures can create broad public consequences.
   2. Boats usually create more delays than vehicles.
   3. Downtown travelers prefer waterways to roads.
   4. Bridge openings are always dangerous procedures.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Short technical failures can create broad public consequences.

   It connects a small operational failure with extensive effects on urban movement.

   A process expected to last only long enough for a boat to pass instead became a lengthy obstacle for people traveling through the downtown area.

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.