A coastal city implemented a new water conservation policy in 2020 because prolonged drought had severely depleted local water reserves....
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
A coastal city implemented a new water conservation policy in 2020 because prolonged drought had severely depleted local water reserves. While the policy helped reduce water usage, city officials worried that the restrictions might hurt local businesses and discourage tourism. However, the conservation measures worked better than expected. Not only did water reserves stabilize, but the city also discovered that reduced water usage significantly lowered utility costs for residents and businesses. This unexpected financial benefit created surplus funds in the municipal budget. As a result, the city ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
relaxed the water conservation requirements.
was able to invest in additional infrastructure projects.
raised utility rates to match previous levels.
focused conservation efforts only on residential areas.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A coastal city implemented a new water conservation policy in 2020 because prolonged drought had severely depleted local water reserves." |
|
| "While the policy helped reduce water usage, city officials worried that the restrictions might hurt local businesses and discourage tourism." |
|
| "However, the conservation measures worked better than expected." |
|
| "Not only did water reserves stabilize, but the city also discovered that reduced water usage significantly lowered utility costs for residents and businesses." |
|
| "This unexpected financial benefit created surplus funds in the municipal budget." |
|
| "As a result, the city ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A coastal city's water conservation policy not only solved the water shortage but also unexpectedly created financial savings that led to surplus municipal funds.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from problem (drought) to solution (conservation policy) to initial concern (business impact) to unexpectedly positive results (water stability plus cost savings) to consequence (surplus funds), setting up for a logical conclusion about how the city would use those surplus funds.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage has established a clear chain: conservation policy led to lower costs which led to surplus municipal funds
- The logical next step would be what a city typically does when it has unexpected surplus funds
- Since this surplus came from successful cost-saving measures, the city would likely use these funds for something beneficial
- Cities with surplus funds often invest in infrastructure, services, or other improvements that benefit the community
- The right answer should show the city using the surplus funds in a constructive way that makes sense for a municipality
relaxed the water conservation requirements.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the city would undo the successful policy that created the surplus funds
- Does not make logical sense since the policy exceeded expectations and created financial benefits
- Trap: Students might think the city would relax restrictions since the crisis passed, but this ignores ongoing benefits
was able to invest in additional infrastructure projects.
✓ Correct
- Shows the city using surplus funds constructively for additional infrastructure projects
- Follows logically from the established chain: successful policy leads to cost savings leads to surplus funds leads to investment in city improvements
- Matches our prethinking about what municipalities typically do with unexpected surplus funds
raised utility rates to match previous levels.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests raising utility rates despite the fact that lower rates were creating surplus funds
- Would eliminate the very benefit that the passage emphasizes as positive
- Goes against the logical flow of the passage
focused conservation efforts only on residential areas.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses only on changing conservation efforts rather than addressing what to do with surplus funds
- Does not connect to the key point about surplus municipal budget funds
- Ignores the main consequence the passage sets up