In most building demolitions, the building materials are destroyed and sent to landfills. City officials in Portland, Oregon, wanted to...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
In most building demolitions, the building materials are destroyed and sent to landfills. City officials in Portland, Oregon, wanted to reduce this waste. The officials passed a law requiring demolition companies to deconstruct some buildings instead. Deconstruction involves carefully taking buildings apart piece by piece. Damage to the materials is avoided so that they can be reused in new constructions. A 2019 study found that 27 percent of materials from deconstructions in Portland were able to be reused. The remaining materials were processed for recycling instead of going to a landfill.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To explain an effort made by the city of Portland to reduce demolition waste and some results of that effort
To show that popular support for measures that reduce demolition waste has increased since 2019
To argue that building deconstruction is not as effective as other measures at reducing demolition waste
To discuss laws aimed to reduce demolition waste in Portland and compare them to similar laws in other cities
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "In most building demolitions, the building materials are destroyed and sent to landfills." |
|
| "City officials in Portland, Oregon, wanted to reduce this waste." |
|
| "The officials passed a law requiring demolition companies to deconstruct some buildings instead." |
|
| "Deconstruction involves carefully taking buildings apart piece by piece." |
|
| "Damage to the materials is avoided so that they can be reused in new constructions." |
|
| "A 2019 study found that 27 percent of materials from deconstructions in Portland were able to be reused." |
|
| "The remaining materials were processed for recycling instead of going to a landfill." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Portland officials implemented a law requiring deconstruction to reduce demolition waste, and a study showed positive results.
Argument Flow: The passage starts by establishing the wasteful nature of typical demolitions, then explains how Portland officials addressed this problem by requiring deconstruction instead. After defining deconstruction and explaining its benefits, the passage presents study results showing the law's effectiveness.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? A statement that captures the overall goal/function of the passage
Any limiting keywords? "Main purpose" tells us we need the primary function, not a specific detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage does three main things: it explains Portland's specific effort (the deconstruction law), explains what that effort involves (the definition and process), and shows us some concrete results (the 2019 study findings)
- The right answer should capture that this is fundamentally about Portland's initiative and its outcomes
- Key elements the correct answer must have:
- Reference to Portland's effort/initiative
- Connection to reducing demolition waste
- Some indication that results are included
To explain an effort made by the city of Portland to reduce demolition waste and some results of that effort
- Captures Portland's "effort" to reduce demolition waste (matches the law they passed)
- Includes "some results of that effort" (matches the 2019 study data)
- Perfectly aligns with our passage structure: problem → solution → results
To show that popular support for measures that reduce demolition waste has increased since 2019
- Claims the passage shows "popular support has increased since 2019"
- The passage never mentions public opinion or popular support at all
To argue that building deconstruction is not as effective as other measures at reducing demolition waste
- Says the passage "argues" deconstruction is "not as effective" as other measures
- The passage actually shows deconstruction working (27% reused, rest recycled)
- No comparison to other waste reduction measures appears anywhere
To discuss laws aimed to reduce demolition waste in Portland and compare them to similar laws in other cities
- Claims the passage discusses laws (plural) and compares them to "similar laws in other cities"
- The passage only mentions one law (Portland's) and no other cities