TOEFL® interview questions: Public transport choices

I had a difficult bus journey to an internship interview last summer. I checked the usual timetable, but I did not notice that the route had changed because of road work. The bus stopped several streets away from the office. I asked another passenger for directions and walked quickly from there. I arrived just before the interview started. After that, I began checking service updates as well as the timetable. I also leave more extra time for important journeys now.

• because of road work · ‘Because of’ plus a noun phrase states directly why the route changed.
• as well as the timetable · ‘As well as’ adds what is now checked, showing what the experience changed.

A bus journey to an internship interview taught me not to rely on a familiar route. I'd checked the timetable, but missed a notice about roadworks, so the bus turned away from the stop near the office. I felt rather panicked until another passenger explained where I should get off and which street to follow. I arrived a few minutes before the interview, much more flustered than I wanted to be. What made the journey difficult wasn't simply the delay. It was suddenly losing the plan I had been counting on, with very little time to create another.

• rely on a familiar route · ‘Rely on’ names the habit of depending too much on a known route.
• the plan I had been counting on · The past perfect continuous shows the speaker had depended on that plan until then.

I would choose the cheaper service if the extra time was not too long. My monthly budget is limited, and small daily costs become quite large. I used to take a slower bus that was cheaper than the train. The journey took fifteen minutes more, but I could usually sit and read. If the slow service made me late or required a very early start, I would choose differently. For an ordinary class day, saving money matters more to me.

• small daily costs become quite large · Shows how daily costs add up, explaining the budget choice.
• If the slow service made me late · A conditional sets the limit on when the cheaper option is acceptable.

I'd usually take the cheaper service if it were reliable and only twenty minutes slower. As a student, I notice the effect of a fare repeated twice every weekday much more than the price of one trip. I once took a slower direct bus where I usually got a seat and used the extra time for reading. However, I'd pay more if the cheaper option involved uncertain connections or made me leave home extremely early. The comparison isn't just minutes against money for me. Reliability, comfort, and whether I can use the travel time all affect which service feels like better value.

• a fare repeated twice every weekday · A past participle phrase turns one fare into an easy-to-grasp long-term cost.
• uncertain connections · Precisely names a concrete risk: transfers that may not work.

I mostly agree because I need to plan when to leave home. A bus every twenty minutes can work well if I know it will arrive as expected. A service that is supposed to come often but is sometimes very late makes me nervous before class. However, frequency still matters when I miss a bus. I would prefer a reliable timetable with reasonable gaps, rather than choosing only one feature. For important journeys, knowing what to expect helps me most.

• as expected · Briefly says the bus arrives when it should.
• reasonable gaps · ‘Gaps’ means the time between buses, balancing reliability against frequency.

Reliability would be my priority, although it can't replace frequency completely. A punctual bus every twenty minutes lets me plan my morning. A supposedly frequent service that arrives unpredictably forces me to build in a large buffer anyway. I experienced that during an internship, when two buses sometimes appeared together after a long wait. Still, a perfectly reliable bus once an hour would be difficult if a lecture finished late and I missed it. I'd want a dependable service at useful intervals. What matters is confidently planning my journey, not simply the number of buses advertised on a timetable.

• build in a large buffer · ‘Build in a buffer’ means leaving extra time, which fits commute planning.
• at useful intervals · ‘Intervals’ describes how often buses run, precisely.

I think a student discount is reasonable. Many students do not earn much money, and transport is necessary for getting to classes or internships. A cheaper pass would help me join activities away from campus without worrying about every fare. But the government should check who receives the discount and how much it costs. It could start with a limited monthly pass and review the use. I would prefer reliable basic services with a moderate discount to a free pass for poor services.

• without worrying about every fare · ‘Without’ plus a gerund shows how the discount changes actual travel choices.
• a moderate discount · ‘Moderate’ limits the size of the subsidy, showing awareness of the budget.

I'd support a targeted student pass, provided it didn't come at the expense of basic service quality. Trips to lectures and part-time jobs can be expensive. A predictable monthly price would make those journeys easier to plan, especially for people who live far from campus to save on rent. The government should check eligibility and review how the pass is used, instead of assuming all discounts work. I'd also want support for other people on low incomes considered alongside students. A discount on reliable transport would help me more than free buses that rarely arrive.

• at the expense of · ‘At the expense of’ warns that the subsidy should not cost service quality.
• considered alongside students · ‘Alongside’ stresses that other low-income groups should also be included.