Reading & writing · Grades 11–12
The shared path · reading guide
An original passage with comprehension, reasoning and a marking guide.
The shared path
A council must allocate a fixed budget between repairing a shared path and expanding a car park. A traffic count measures vehicles, while a community survey records experiences of walking and cycling. Each source captures something different. A policy brief argues that the decision should state its goals explicitly before treating any one measure as decisive.
Read, think and respond
- Why is a single measure insufficient to settle the decision?
- Identify a value judgement that would remain even with better data.
- Outline a balanced recommendation structure.
Suggested answers and marking notes
Why is a single measure insufficient to settle the decision?
Rubric: Explain that counts and experiences answer different questions and that policy goals and trade-offs affect their relevance.
Identify a value judgement that would remain even with better data.
Rubric: Discuss how to weigh access, safety, convenience, cost or distribution of benefits. Distinguish such priorities from an empirical measurement.
Outline a balanced recommendation structure.
Rubric: State goals, compare options using relevant evidence, acknowledge trade-offs and uncertainty, and explain why the chosen option best meets the stated priorities.
Learning preview · teacher review required. Grade bands are approximate, not official curriculum alignment.