Community gardens have become increasingly popular in urban neighborhoods, with most focusing primarily on food production. However, the Riverside Com...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Community gardens have become increasingly popular in urban neighborhoods, with most focusing primarily on food production. However, the Riverside Community Garden Project stands apart due to its exceptional scope and documentation. The project coordinators not only grew vegetables but also maintained detailed records of community participation, seasonal growing patterns, and neighborhood social changes over five years. Urban planners observe that the project's comprehensive documentation captures both agricultural success and community development, making it a valuable resource for understanding urban gardening's broader social impact.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Urban planners use community garden documentation to develop policies for neighborhood food security programs.
The Riverside project demonstrates how community gardens can transform urban neighborhoods through food production and social connection.
Most community gardens focus solely on food production rather than documenting their broader community impact.
Community gardens have become a popular solution for urban food access and neighborhood development challenges.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Community gardens have become increasingly popular in urban neighborhoods, with most focusing primarily on food production.' |
|
| 'However, the Riverside Community Garden Project stands apart due to its exceptional scope and documentation.' |
|
| 'The project coordinators not only grew vegetables but also maintained detailed records of community participation, seasonal growing patterns, and neighborhood social changes over five years.' |
|
| 'Urban planners observe that the project's comprehensive documentation captures both agricultural success and community development, making it a valuable resource for understanding urban gardening's broader social impact.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The Riverside Community Garden Project is exceptional because it documents not just food production but also community participation and social changes, providing valuable insight into urban gardening's broader social impact.
Argument Flow: The passage starts by establishing that most community gardens focus primarily on food production, then contrasts this with the Riverside project's more comprehensive approach that includes detailed documentation of community and social aspects. It concludes by noting that urban planning experts recognize this comprehensive documentation as valuable for understanding the wider social impact of urban gardening.
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 correct answer should capture how the Riverside project is different from typical community gardens
- It needs to show that Riverside goes beyond just food production to include community and social documentation
- The answer should also reflect that this comprehensive approach provides valuable insights into urban gardening's broader impact on neighborhoods
- The right answer should emphasize that the Riverside project demonstrates community gardens can have both agricultural and social transformation effects
Urban planners use community garden documentation to develop policies for neighborhood food security programs.
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses on what urban planners do with documentation, not the main point about the Riverside project itself
- The passage mentions urban planners' observations as supporting evidence, not as the central idea
- What trap this represents: Students might focus on the final sentence about urban planners rather than the overall message about what makes Riverside special
The Riverside project demonstrates how community gardens can transform urban neighborhoods through food production and social connection.
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures the main point: Riverside demonstrates comprehensive community garden impact
- Includes both key elements: food production AND social connection/transformation
- Matches our prethinking about gardens transforming neighborhoods in multiple ways
Most community gardens focus solely on food production rather than documenting their broader community impact.
✗ Incorrect
- Only captures part of the message (what most gardens do vs. documentation)
- Misses the main point about Riverside's comprehensive approach and its significance
- What trap this represents: Students might focus on the contrast between typical gardens and Riverside without grasping the full significance
Community gardens have become a popular solution for urban food access and neighborhood development challenges.
✗ Incorrect
- Too general about community gardens overall
- Doesn't capture what makes Riverside special or the documentation aspect
- This is background information, not the main idea