In the passage, what does the word 'compromise' mean?
When Marston Council announced in January that the town library would close in March, few people expected a fight. Library visits had fallen by a fifth in four years, and the building needed £300,000 of repairs. Yet within a week, 2,400 residents had signed a petition, and a group of volunteers calling themselves the Book Rescue Team had begun meeting every Saturday morning. 'It is not only about books,' said retired teacher Mr Okafor. 'It is where children do their homework when there is no quiet room at home, and where lonely people find someone to talk to.' By June, the volunteers had raised £48,000 through cake sales and a sponsored read-a-thon, and the council agreed to a compromise: the library would stay open three days a week, run jointly by staff and volunteers. Critics say this is only a short-term fix. Councillor Hale admitted that 'the long-term future is still unclear', but the Book Rescue Team insists the campaign has already proved something. 'People care,' said Mr Okafor, 'far more than the visit figures suggested.'
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. An agreement in which both sides accept less than they wanted
- Step 1: Look at the context: the library stays open, but only three days a week and run jointly.
- Step 2: A compromise is an agreement where each side gives up part of what it wanted.
Answer
An agreement in which both sides accept less than they wanted.
Why not the others: A decision that one side wins completely: In this case neither side gets everything: the library is not closed but it is not fully open either. A promise that cannot be kept: The passage does not suggest the agreement is broken. A public vote on the library's future: The passage describes a petition, but the compromise was an agreement, not a vote.
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