Despite the successful implementation of green infrastructure in cities like Seattle and Philadelphia, Portland's initial adoption of bioswales and pe...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Despite the successful implementation of green infrastructure in cities like Seattle and Philadelphia, Portland's initial adoption of bioswales and permeable pavement for stormwater management was considered ______ by some city council members.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
progressive
effective
premature
traditional
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Despite the successful implementation of green infrastructure in cities like Seattle and Philadelphia, |
|
| Portland's initial adoption of bioswales and permeable pavement for stormwater management was considered |
|
| [MISSING WORD/PHRASE] |
|
| by some city council members. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES: Seattle & Philadelphia → successful green infrastructure
CONTRAST with Despite
PORTLAND'S SITUATION: Portland → initial adoption → considered [BLANK] by council
Main Point: While green infrastructure succeeded in other cities, Portland's early adoption faced criticism from some council members.
Argument Flow: The passage sets up a contrast between proven success elsewhere and local skepticism about Portland's timing. The Despite signals that Portland's experience differed from the positive precedents, with council members having concerns about the city's early implementation.
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 word Despite creates a contrast setup - while other cities succeeded, something different happened with Portland
- The phrase initial adoption suggests timing concerns, and we know council members had some negative opinion about Portland's approach
- The right answer needs to reflect council members' skepticism about Portland's early implementation, contrasting with the success mentioned elsewhere
- So the right answer should express council members' concern that Portland was moving too quickly or inappropriately with this new approach
progressive
- This suggests Portland was forward-thinking and innovative
- Doesn't create the contrast established by Despite - this would be positive like the other cities' success
- Contradicts the negative implication set up by the sentence structure
effective
- This would mean council members thought Portland's approach was working well
- Creates no contrast with the successful implementations elsewhere
- Would make Despite illogical since both examples would be positive
premature
- Means council members thought Portland was acting too early or hastily
- Creates perfect contrast: other cities succeeded, but Portland's timing was questioned
- Initial adoption + premature logically connect - critics thought Portland jumped in too soon
- The Despite structure makes complete sense: despite success elsewhere, some thought Portland's early move was ill-timed
traditional
- Green infrastructure (bioswales, permeable pavement) is explicitly modern technology
- Calling innovative stormwater management traditional makes no sense contextually
- Fails to create any meaningful contrast with the successful examples