Smart city initiatives promise to transform urban living through integrated technology systems that optimize traffic flow, reduce energy consumption, ...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Smart city initiatives promise to transform urban living through integrated technology systems that optimize traffic flow, reduce energy consumption, and improve public services. Urban planners have enthusiastically embraced these innovations as solutions to growing metropolitan challenges. _____ most smart city projects implemented over the past decade have struggled to deliver their promised benefits, often facing budget overruns and technical integration problems.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Nevertheless,
For example,
Consequently,
In addition,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Smart city initiatives promise to transform urban living through integrated technology systems that optimize traffic flow, reduce energy consumption, and improve public services.' |
|
| 'Urban planners have enthusiastically embraced these innovations as solutions to growing metropolitan challenges.' |
|
| _____ |
|
| 'most smart city projects implemented over the past decade have struggled to deliver their promised benefits, often facing budget overruns and technical integration problems.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite promising benefits and professional enthusiasm, smart city projects have largely failed to deliver on their promises.
Argument Flow: The passage sets up positive expectations about smart city technology and shows professional support, then reveals that the reality has been disappointing. The missing transition needs to signal this shift from optimism to reality.
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 have positive information (promises and enthusiasm) followed by negative reality (most projects struggling)
- The logical relationship here is contrast or contradiction
- The right transition should signal to readers that the next information will contradict the promises and enthusiasm we just learned about
Nevertheless,
✓ Correct
- 'Nevertheless' signals contrast - perfect for moving from positive expectations to negative reality
- Matches our prethinking exactly - shows the following information contradicts what came before
For example,
✗ Incorrect
- 'For example' introduces a specific instance that supports the previous point
- Would suggest the struggling projects support the enthusiasm, which makes no sense
Consequently,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Consequently' shows cause and effect - that struggles resulted from the promises
- The struggles are not caused by the promises; they contradict them
In addition,
✗ Incorrect
- 'In addition' would add more positive information to support planners' enthusiasm
- But the next sentence contradicts rather than supports the enthusiasm