The following text is from community organizer Maria Santos's 2023 reflection on neighborhood revitalization efforts.At the corner of Fifth and...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from community organizer Maria Santos's 2023 reflection on neighborhood revitalization efforts.
At the corner of Fifth and Main, Mrs. Chen had transformed her small front yard into a vibrant community garden, complete with raised beds where neighbors could grow vegetables and herbs. Her initiative sparked a wave of similar projects throughout the district. Within six months, vacant lots were being converted to pocket parks, residents organized block-level composting programs, and local businesses began sourcing produce from community gardens, fundamentally reshaping how our neighborhood approached food security and environmental sustainability.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
It contrasts individual initiative with the collective action that the organizer suggests is necessary for lasting change.
It provides a specific example that directly triggered the broader community transformation described in the text.
It establishes the starting conditions that the organizer then shows were insufficient for neighborhood improvement.
It illustrates the type of small-scale project that the organizer argues should remain local rather than expanding district-wide.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "At the corner of Fifth and Main, Mrs. Chen had transformed her small front yard into a vibrant community garden, complete with raised beds where neighbors could grow vegetables and herbs." |
|
| "Her initiative sparked a wave of similar projects throughout the district." |
|
| "Within six months, vacant lots were being converted to pocket parks, residents organized block-level composting programs, and local businesses began sourcing produce from community gardens, fundamentally reshaping how our neighborhood approached food security and environmental sustainability." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map: Specific Example: Mrs. Chen individual garden project leads to Catalyst Effect: sparked wave of similar projects leads to Widespread Transformation: Multiple community changes including vacant lots to pocket parks, composting programs, local business sourcing, fundamental reshaping of approach
Main Point: One individual garden project triggered comprehensive neighborhood transformation in food security and environmental practices.
Argument Flow: The text moves from specific Mrs. Chen garden to general district-wide change. It establishes clear cause-and-effect relationship where one person initiative becomes catalyst for broader community transformation across multiple areas.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The function of the underlined portion Mrs. Chen garden description within the entire text.
What type of answer do we need? How this specific part serves the overall purpose and structure of the passage.
Any limiting keywords? Function indicates we need to identify the role this portion plays, and in the text as a whole means we need to consider its relationship to the complete passage.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our passage map, Mrs. Chen garden serves as the opening example that directly triggers everything else that follows
- The text shows clear progression: her individual action sparks broader projects leads to comprehensive neighborhood change
- The right answer should recognize that this opening portion functions as the specific trigger or catalyst that directly caused the broader transformation described in the rest of the passage
It contrasts individual initiative with the collective action that the organizer suggests is necessary for lasting change.
- This suggests the text contrasts individual vs collective action, but that's not what we see
- The passage shows individual initiative Mrs. Chen leading to collective action, not contrasting them
- What trap this represents: Students might focus on individual vs collective and miss that the text shows them working together, not in opposition
It provides a specific example that directly triggered the broader community transformation described in the text.
- This matches exactly what we see: Mrs. Chen specific garden example directly triggered the broader transformation
- The text explicitly states her initiative sparked a wave of similar projects
- This aligns perfectly with our structure map showing cause-and-effect progression
It establishes the starting conditions that the organizer then shows were insufficient for neighborhood improvement.
- This implies Mrs. Chen garden was insufficient or inadequate, but the text shows it was highly successful
- The garden didn't represent insufficient conditions it was the successful starting point that led to expansion
- What trap this represents: Students might misinterpret starting conditions and think it means inadequate conditions
It illustrates the type of small-scale project that the organizer argues should remain local rather than expanding district-wide.
- This suggests the organizer argues for keeping projects local, but the text celebrates district-wide expansion
- The passage shows positive district-wide spread, not an argument against expansion