Here's the thought process to solve this: Based on the information given: 1. The clock shows 3:45. 2. It's 15 minutes slow. 3. The actual time is a quarter past an hour. Step 1: Adjust for the clock being slow If the clock is showing 3:45 but is 15 minutes slow, we need to add 15 minutes to find the correct time the clock is trying to display. 3:45 + 15 minutes = 4:00 So if the clock wasn't slow, it would be displaying 4:00. Step 2: Resolve the apparent contradiction with quarter past However, the third piece of information states that the actual time is a quarter past an hour. A quarter past the hour after 4:00 would be 4:15. Therefore, despite the clock showing 3:45, the true current time is: 4:15 MethodBeat: 4:15