Read: 'The rain fell heavily for hours. The streets were flooded and many cars stalled.' What caused the cars to stall?

**The reasoning** This is a **cause-and-effect comprehension** question. You need to identify the *direct* cause mentioned in the passage. Look at the sequence: Rain fell → streets flooded → cars stalled. The text explicitly says "The streets **were flooded** and many cars stalled." That connecting word "and" links the two events closely. Water entering car engines through flooded streets is what physically stops them from running. The passage gives you a clear chain: flooding is what directly caused the stalling. **Why the wrong options tempt you** **(A) Heavy traffic** — Not mentioned at all in the passage. Don't add information that isn't there! **(C) Engine failure** — This confuses *result* with *cause*. Yes, the engines failed, but *why*? Because of the flooding. **(D) Bad weather forecast** — The rain itself happened, but the text specifically points to the **flooded streets** as what affected the cars. A forecast wouldn't stall vehicles; actual water would. **Quick takeaway** In comprehension questions, stick to what's *explicitly stated* and find the most **direct cause** — the immediate thing that triggered the effect, not a general background condition.