Read the passage carefully and answer the following question: “What problem has recently affected the London trains on the narrator’s line?”

Introduction / Context:
This reading comprehension question asks about the specific issue affecting London trains in the passage. The narrator talks about travelling during rush hour and mentions how the train company has been handling recent problems on the line. To answer correctly, one must pay attention to the precise description of what the company has been doing with the trains, rather than just the general stress of commuting.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The passage clearly states that they have been having a lot of problems on the line recently and “keep cancelling trains with no warning”. The narrator then complains that in London rush hour, you cannot simply cancel trains because people need them to travel to work. We assume that the main issue is not poor quality of trains or overcrowding alone, but the sudden cancellations.

Concept / Approach:
The correct answer must directly reflect the phrase “keep cancelling trains with no warning”. This phrase highlights two aspects: cancellation and lack of prior notice. Any option that does not include both the idea of cancellation and the absence of warning is incomplete or inaccurate. Some options may mention delays or general awfulness of the trains, but we must focus on the exact complaint in the text.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Locate the relevant sentence in the passage. It reports that trains are being cancelled with no warning. Step 2: Identify the key words: “keep cancelling” and “with no warning”. Step 3: Look at option (d): “Trains are cancelled without prior intimation.” This restates the same idea using slightly different words. Step 4: Examine the other options to see whether they match this key idea or not. Step 5: Choose option (d) because it is the only one that clearly matches the problem described.

Verification / Alternative check:
Option (a) “The trains have become awful” is vague and does not specify cancellation or warning. Option (b) “There are more trains during rush hour” is the opposite of a problem; more trains would usually reduce crowding, and this is not mentioned in the text. Option (c) “People are late to work because of train delays” describes a possible consequence but does not focus on the specific action of cancelling trains without notice. The passage talks not just about delay but about the sudden removal of entire services, which is more serious. Therefore, option (d) best captures the narrator's complaint.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“The trains have become awful” is too general and not supported by detailed comments in the passage.
“There are more trains during rush hour” is factually opposite to what one would expect to be a problem and is not mentioned at all.
“People are late to work because of train delays” may be true in many cities but here the focus is on cancellations, not just delayed arrivals.
Only “Trains are cancelled without prior intimation” echoes the passage precisely.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose options that describe a likely consequence, such as people being late, instead of the actual cause described in the passage. Another pitfall is being drawn to general negative words like “awful” without checking whether they appear in the text. To avoid these mistakes, always look for direct paraphrases of the important sentence and avoid options that introduce new ideas not mentioned in the passage.

Final Answer:
The recent problem is that trains are cancelled without prior intimation on the narrator's line.