How urban designers structure communal areas in residential districts frequently shapes inhabitants' community connections: expansive courtyards promo...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
How urban designers structure communal areas in residential districts frequently shapes inhabitants' community connections: expansive courtyards promote social engagement, confined corridors generate closeness, and raised pedestrian bridges (linking structures above ground level) encourage detachment from street-level interactions. A district's communal atmosphere is therefore fundamentally _______ its physical layout.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
shaped by
unrelated to
contrary to
distinct from
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'How urban designers structure communal areas in residential districts frequently shapes inhabitants' community connections:' |
|
| 'expansive courtyards promote social engagement,' |
|
| 'confined corridors generate closeness,' |
|
| 'and raised pedestrian bridges (linking structures above ground level) encourage detachment from street-level interactions.' |
|
| 'A district's communal atmosphere is therefore fundamentally' |
|
| 'its physical layout.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The physical design of communal areas in residential districts directly determines the type of social atmosphere and community connections that develop.
Argument Flow: The passage opens by stating that urban design affects community connections, then provides three specific examples showing different design elements creating different social outcomes, and concludes that a district's social atmosphere is fundamentally connected to its physical layout.
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 missing phrase must logically connect the two parts
- The word 'therefore' indicates this is a conclusion based on the three examples
- All examples showed how different physical designs create different social outcomes
- The relationship should show that atmosphere comes from or is determined by the layout
shaped by
✓ Correct
- Creates the logical relationship that atmosphere is shaped by layout
- Matches the examples that showed design determining social results
unrelated to
✗ Incorrect
- Claims atmosphere and layout have no connection
- Directly contradicts the entire passage and all examples
contrary to
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests atmosphere works against layout
- Makes no logical sense given the examples show harmony, not opposition
distinct from
✗ Incorrect
- Claims atmosphere is separate from layout
- Contradicts the examples showing layout directly creating atmosphere