Many urban redevelopment projects fail within the first few years due to insufficient community engagement or inadequate funding for long-term...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Many urban redevelopment projects fail within the first few years due to insufficient community engagement or inadequate funding for long-term maintenance. However, city planner Maria Santos and her team have developed strategies to address these challenges, creating sustainable neighborhood revitalization programs that have thrived for over a decade. The team establishes community advisory boards that include local residents, business owners, and nonprofit leaders, ensuring that ongoing decisions about the neighborhood reflect the priorities and needs of those who actually live and work in the area.
Which choice best states the purpose of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
It details the circumstances that prompted the planning approach discussed in the text.
It illustrates the effects of a method developed by planners that increases the sustainability of projects discussed in the text.
It presents a reason why the challenges discussed in the text will inevitably occur in urban settings.
It mentions an approach discussed in the text that planners intend to implement in future projects.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Many urban redevelopment projects fail within the first few years due to insufficient community engagement or inadequate funding for long-term maintenance." |
|
| "However, city planner Maria Santos and her team have developed strategies to address these challenges, creating sustainable neighborhood revitalization programs that have thrived for over a decade." |
|
| "The team establishes community advisory boards that include local residents, business owners, and nonprofit leaders, ensuring that ongoing decisions about the neighborhood reflect the priorities and needs of those who actually live and work in the area." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Unlike many failed urban redevelopment projects, Maria Santos and her team have created lasting success by using strategies that directly address the common causes of failure.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a common problem (project failures), immediately contrasts this with a successful alternative (Santos approach), then explains exactly how that successful method works by involving the community directly in decision-making.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The purpose or function of the underlined portion within the broader context of the entire text.
What type of answer do we need? A description of what job this specific sentence performs in relation to the passage overall structure and argument.
Any limiting keywords? Question Characterization:
- Content Genre: Humanities & Social Sciences
- Content Format: Text-only
- Question Type: Purpose (specific part)
- Language Complexity: Moderate
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The underlined portion comes after we have learned about Santos successful approach.
- This sentence does not just describe what they do - it shows us exactly how their method works and what it accomplishes.
- It demonstrates the practical application of their strategy and reveals why it is effective.
- The right answer should recognize that this sentence illustrates or demonstrates how the successful method mentioned earlier actually functions in practice.
- It shows the concrete steps and positive outcomes of the approach that contrasts with the failed projects.
It details the circumstances that prompted the planning approach discussed in the text.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the underlined portion details circumstances that prompted the approach.
- The circumstances (project failures) were already established in the first sentence.
- The underlined portion does not describe what caused Santos to develop her approach - it describes what her approach actually does.
It illustrates the effects of a method developed by planners that increases the sustainability of projects discussed in the text.
✓ Correct
- Recognizes that the underlined portion illustrates the effects of Santos method.
- Perfectly matches our analysis: the sentence shows how their strategy works in practice (advisory boards) and what positive outcome it creates (decisions reflect community needs).
- This demonstration of the method effects directly supports why their approach succeeds where others fail.
It presents a reason why the challenges discussed in the text will inevitably occur in urban settings.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the portion presents a reason why challenges will inevitably occur.
- The underlined portion describes a solution working successfully, not explaining why problems happen.
It mentions an approach discussed in the text that planners intend to implement in future projects.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the approach is something planners intend to implement in future projects.
- The passage clearly states Santos team have developed these strategies and created programs that have thrived for over a decade - this is ongoing success, not future plans.