Last Ditch, a Massachusetts Lesbian Bar Known for Its Mask Policy, Will Close

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

C1. 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 central argument about Last Ditch’s visibility?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Publicity guaranteed the bar’s long-term survival.
   2. Publicity increased visibility without securing survival.
   3. Publicity was unrelated to the mask-policy dispute.
   4. Publicity primarily strengthened the bar’s local customer base.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Publicity increased visibility without securing survival.

   The article contrasts substantial attention with the business’s unchanged financial outcome.

   Publicity, however, did not translate into a sustainable future for the bar.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “That decision” refer to in the second paragraph?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The bar’s impending closure
   2. The bar’s specialized community role
   3. The weekly mask-policy change
   4. The public’s national response
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The weekly mask-policy change

   The phrase points back to the bar’s weekly relaxation of its mask requirement.

   That decision placed the business at the center of a broader public argument.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention that the closure date is unspecified?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To establish when the policy changed
   2. To identify the bar’s founding date
   3. To clarify that closure is only hypothetical
   4. To mark a limitation in the available information
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To mark a limitation in the available information

   This detail limits the account to the confirmed closure without inventing a timeline.

   The available account does not specify the exact date of the closure.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What relationship between identity and access does the article present?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Distinctive policies can involve competing social effects.
   2. Distinctive policies always increase attendance.
   3. Identity matters only for commercial businesses.
   4. Access concerns disappear when publicity increases.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Distinctive policies can involve competing social effects.

   A defining policy may build identity while making some customers less comfortable.

   A policy can distinguish a venue from its competitors and create a strong identity, yet the same policy may influence who feels comfortable entering it.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What broader function of lesbian bars does the article emphasize?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They primarily serve tourists seeking unusual nightlife.
   2. They operate chiefly as political campaign centers.
   3. They combine commercial activity with community representation.
   4. They avoid financial pressures through public interest.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They combine commercial activity with community representation.

   The article frames them as community spaces as well as commercial enterprises.

   For lesbian bars, this tension can be especially significant because they are not simply commercial spaces.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about the policy change’s immediate public effect?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It produced an uncomplicated increase in attendance.
   2. It had mixed consequences beyond its intended purpose.
   3. It eliminated disagreement about the venue’s identity.
   4. It received attention only from existing patrons.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It had mixed consequences beyond its intended purpose.

   The change broadened exposure but also generated criticism and debate.

   Although the weekly change was intended to increase attendance, it also prompted criticism.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How does the final paragraph organize the article’s conclusion?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It introduces an unrelated national controversy.
   2. It reverses the earlier account of the policy.
   3. It summarizes attention, debate, and the ultimate outcome.
   4. It announces a future reopening strategy.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It summarizes attention, debate, and the ultimate outcome.

   It returns to the controversy and connects it directly to the closure.

   Its weekly mask-policy change generated attention and debate, but neither was enough to prevent the Massachusetts bar from closing.

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.