Environmental researchers have studied the outcomes of community-based wildlife conservation programs in different regions. These initiatives typicall...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Environmental researchers have studied the outcomes of community-based wildlife conservation programs in different regions. These initiatives typically involve local residents in protecting endangered species through economic incentives and education. Programs that successfully engage community members from the beginning show dramatic improvements in wildlife populations and habitat protection. When communities feel ownership over conservation efforts and see direct economic benefits, they become active partners in wildlife protection. However, programs that fail to meaningfully involve local residents often struggle with compliance and enforcement issues, regardless of funding levels or external support. This suggests that community-based conservation approaches may ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
require longer implementation periods to show measurable environmental benefits.
be more effective in African contexts than in South American environments.
depend primarily on the level of genuine community involvement for their success.
need substantial funding increases to achieve their conservation goals.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Environmental researchers have studied the outcomes of community-based wildlife conservation programs in different regions.' |
|
| 'These initiatives typically involve local residents in protecting endangered species through economic incentives and education.' |
|
| 'Programs that successfully engage community members from the beginning show dramatic improvements in wildlife populations and habitat protection.' |
|
| 'When communities feel ownership over conservation efforts and see direct economic benefits, they become active partners in wildlife protection.' |
|
| 'However, programs that fail to meaningfully involve local residents often struggle with compliance and enforcement issues, regardless of funding levels or external support.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Community-based wildlife conservation programs succeed or fail primarily based on how meaningfully they involve local residents, not on funding or external support.
Argument Flow: The passage defines community-based conservation programs, then shows two contrasting scenarios - successful programs that genuinely engage communities versus failing programs that do not meaningfully involve locals. The key insight is that meaningful community involvement determines success more than funding levels.
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 shows a clear pattern: programs succeed when they meaningfully engage communities (creating ownership and showing benefits), while programs fail when they do not involve locals meaningfully - even with good funding and external support
- This pattern suggests that the level of genuine community involvement is the crucial factor that determines success or failure
- The right answer should emphasize that meaningful community participation is the primary determinant of whether these programs work
require longer implementation periods to show measurable environmental benefits.
- This focuses on timing and implementation periods
- The passage does not discuss how long programs take to show results
be more effective in African contexts than in South American environments.
- This makes a geographic comparison
- The passage mentions different regions but makes no claims about which regions work better
depend primarily on the level of genuine community involvement for their success.
- This directly captures the main logic of the passage
- The evidence shows successful programs meaningfully engage communities while failed programs do not
- The phrase 'depend primarily on' matches how funding/external support do not determine success - community involvement does
need substantial funding increases to achieve their conservation goals.
- This suggests more funding is the solution
- The passage explicitly states that failed programs struggle 'regardless of funding levels or external support'