Environmental scientists have documented that urban green spaces provide multiple benefits to city ecosystems. Beyond reducing air pollution and moder...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Environmental scientists have documented that urban green spaces provide multiple benefits to city ecosystems. Beyond reducing air pollution and moderating temperatures, these natural areas also _____ biodiversity by creating habitats where various species can thrive alongside existing urban wildlife.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
restrict
enhance
document
complicate
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Environmental scientists have documented that urban green spaces provide multiple benefits to city ecosystems.' |
|
| 'Beyond reducing air pollution and moderating temperatures,' |
|
| 'these natural areas also _____ biodiversity' |
|
| 'by creating habitats where various species can thrive alongside existing urban wildlife.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Environmental scientists have found that urban green spaces provide multiple benefits to city ecosystems, including various known benefits and an additional impact on biodiversity through habitat creation.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that scientists have documented multiple benefits of urban green spaces. It then moves from listing known benefits (air pollution reduction and temperature moderation) to introducing another benefit involving biodiversity, with the mechanism being habitat creation that supports both new species and existing urban wildlife.
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, we see that the blank comes after 'these natural areas also' - suggesting continuation of benefits
- The phrase after the blank explains that green spaces create habitats where species can thrive alongside existing wildlife
- This clearly describes a positive impact on biodiversity - making it stronger, richer, or better supported
- The logical relationship needed here is one where green spaces do something beneficial to biodiversity through the mechanism of habitat creation
- Since the passage emphasizes positive benefits throughout, and the explanation shows species thriving, the missing word should indicate a positive action toward biodiversity
- So the right answer should indicate that green spaces positively impact or strengthen biodiversity through habitat creation
restrict
- 'Restrict' means to limit or constrain
- This contradicts the passage's focus on positive benefits and the explanation that species 'thrive' in these habitats
enhance
- 'Enhance' means to improve or strengthen
- Perfectly matches the positive tone of the passage and aligns with creating habitats where species can 'thrive'
- Fits logically with the 'also' construction, adding another positive benefit to the list
document
- 'Document' means to record or study
- This would mean green spaces simply record biodiversity, which doesn't make sense with 'creating habitats'
- The sentence structure requires an action that green spaces perform on biodiversity, not a research activity
complicate
- 'Complicate' means to make more complex or difficult
- This suggests a negative or neutral impact, contradicting the passage's emphasis on positive benefits
- Doesn't align with species 'thriving' in these habitats