Question

Memorandum

TO: All Employees
FROM: Mark West, Vice President
RE: Staff Awards Banquet
DATE: April 3, 2015

The annual Staff Awards Banquet will not be held in the usual place. Last year, we were able to celebrate at Mary's Bistro on 23rd Street. However, this year we have decided to have the banquet at Grady's Fine Dining on Hawthorne Avenue because Mary's does not have a room available to accommodate us. Grady's offers many benefits for us. For one thing, the restaurant offers a private room so that we can enjoy each other's company without disturbing others who are dining. Furthermore, special waiters and waitresses will be assigned to our party. We will also have an assorted buffet of meats, vegetables, breads and desserts, so you should have your choice of delicious food. Lastly, the restaurant is going to provide a piano player for our entertainment. Despite the fact that Grady's is further away from our offices than Mary's, we feel these benefits make it worth the drive. The banquet will be held on Friday, May 6th, at 6:00 p.m., and we hope to see you there.

Select the best answer
What is one difference or contrast that is being discussed in this memo?

The difference in the kinds of meats and the kinds of desserts
The difference in the kinds of breads and vegetables that will be served
The difference between the restaurants from last year and this year
The difference in the piano player and the waiters and waitresses

Answer 1

This memorandum contrasts this year's restaurant with the last year's one, as it mentions that this time it will be a different place. Then, the email sender starts adding contrastive arguments in which he describes how different it will be this year by using adverbs such as 'furthermore', 'also', 'lastly'.

In a way, the memorandum also relates to sentences A, B and D as it includes them (the difference in the types of desserts, breads, waiters, waitresses, etc.). However, these are isolated aspects of the whole message and that is the focus here. That is why the difference concerns the restaurants because the elements 'bread', 'waiters', 'vegetables' are part of them while restaurants are the essential element that encompasses the rest.