While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:In 1965, the city council of Birmingham, Alabama approved construction...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- In 1965, the city council of Birmingham, Alabama approved construction of a new civic center.
- The project was part of the city's urban renewal efforts following the civil rights movement.
- Civil rights leader Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth had played a crucial role in Birmingham's desegregation campaigns.
- Shuttlesworth faced imprisonment and violence for his activism but continued his work for equality.
- City officials decided to name the facility the Fred Shuttlesworth Conference Center.
- The naming was intended to acknowledge Shuttlesworth's contributions to civil rights progress in the city.
The student wants to present the chronological progression of events that led to the center's establishment. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
The Fred Shuttlesworth Conference Center was built in Birmingham in 1965 as part of the city's urban renewal efforts following the civil rights movement.
City officials named the facility the Fred Shuttlesworth Conference Center to acknowledge his contributions to civil rights progress in Birmingham.
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth played a crucial role in Birmingham's desegregation campaigns despite facing imprisonment and violence for his activism.
Following the civil rights movement, Birmingham pursued urban renewal efforts, leading to the city council's 1965 approval of a new civic center that was later named after Fred Shuttlesworth.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'In 1965, the city council of Birmingham, Alabama approved construction of a new civic center.' |
|
| 'The project was part of the city's urban renewal efforts following the civil rights movement.' |
|
| 'Civil rights leader Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth had played a crucial role in Birmingham's desegregation campaigns.' |
|
| 'Shuttlesworth faced imprisonment and violence for his activism but continued his work for equality.' |
|
| 'City officials decided to name the facility the Fred Shuttlesworth Conference Center.' |
|
| 'The naming was intended to acknowledge Shuttlesworth's contributions to civil rights progress in the city.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Birmingham's civic center, built in 1965 as part of post-civil rights movement urban renewal, was named after Fred Shuttlesworth to honor his contributions to the city's civil rights progress.
Argument Flow: The notes trace how Birmingham's response to the civil rights movement led to urban renewal efforts, which included building a civic center in 1965. The notes then establish Shuttlesworth's significant role in Birmingham's civil rights campaigns and explain how city officials honored him by naming the facility after him.
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
- To show chronological progression leading to the center's establishment, we need events in time order that connect causally
- The progression should be: civil rights movement happened, this led to urban renewal efforts, which led to the 1965 civic center approval, which was then named after Shuttlesworth
- We need multiple connected events, not just one isolated fact
The Fred Shuttlesworth Conference Center was built in Birmingham in 1965 as part of the city's urban renewal efforts following the civil rights movement.
✗ Incorrect
Only gives two pieces of information without showing progression. Doesn't mention what led to the urban renewal or connect to Shuttlesworth. Missing the chronological sequence the question requires.
City officials named the facility the Fred Shuttlesworth Conference Center to acknowledge his contributions to civil rights progress in Birmingham.
✗ Incorrect
Only focuses on the naming decision and its purpose. Completely skips the events that led to the center being built in the first place. No chronological progression.
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth played a crucial role in Birmingham's desegregation campaigns despite facing imprisonment and violence for his activism.
✗ Incorrect
Only discusses Shuttlesworth's civil rights work and challenges. Doesn't connect to the civic center at all. No progression toward the center's establishment.
Following the civil rights movement, Birmingham pursued urban renewal efforts, leading to the city council's 1965 approval of a new civic center that was later named after Fred Shuttlesworth.
✓ Correct
- Shows complete chronological sequence: civil rights movement, urban renewal efforts, 1965 council approval, naming after Shuttlesworth
- Uses connecting language that demonstrates progression
- Links all the key events in proper time order