The following text is from a 2022 report on sustainable urban development practices. The city council implemented a comprehensive approach...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from a 2022 report on sustainable urban development practices.
The city council implemented a comprehensive approach to neighborhood revitalization, combining affordable housing initiatives with green infrastructure projects and community-led economic development programs. Officials prioritized resident input throughout the planning process, establishing regular forums for public feedback and incorporating local suggestions into policy modifications. This strategy proved particularly effective in historically underserved areas, where traditional top-down planning methods had previously failed to address community needs.
As used in the text, what does the word "strategy" most nearly mean?
Tactic
Approach
Goal
Policy
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The city council implemented a comprehensive approach to neighborhood revitalization, combining affordable housing initiatives with green infrastructure projects and community-led economic development programs." |
|
| "Officials prioritized resident input throughout the planning process, establishing regular forums for public feedback and incorporating local suggestions into policy modifications." |
|
| "This strategy proved particularly effective in historically underserved areas, where traditional top-down planning methods had previously failed to address community needs." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The city council's comprehensive, community-inclusive approach to neighborhood revitalization proved more effective than traditional top-down planning methods.
Argument Flow: The passage first describes a multi-component approach to neighborhood improvement, then explains how community input was integrated throughout, and finally evaluates this overall method as successful compared to previous approaches.
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
- Looking at our analysis, "strategy" refers back to everything described in the first two sentences - the comprehensive approach combining multiple initiatives with community input
- The word "strategy" is being used to summarize this entire method that the city used
- The right answer needs to capture that "strategy" means the overall method or way of doing something - specifically, the city's way of revitalizing neighborhoods through multiple components and community involvement
Tactic
✗ Incorrect
- A tactic is typically a specific, narrow action, but the passage describes a broad, multi-part approach, not a single specific action
Approach
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures the comprehensive method described in the passage
- "Approach" means a way of dealing with something, which matches how the city dealt with neighborhood revitalization
Goal
✗ Incorrect
- A goal is what you want to achieve, not how you achieve it
- The passage shows that neighborhood revitalization was the goal, while the "strategy" was how they went about achieving it
Policy
✗ Incorrect
- A policy is a specific rule or guideline
- The passage describes an overall approach that includes multiple policies, not a single policy itself