Successful public transit networks depend on residents needing to access diverse services and opportunities across different urban areas. However, cit...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Successful public transit networks depend on residents needing to access diverse services and opportunities across different urban areas. However, city planners working in mid-sized cities failed to recognize this principle when evaluating transit proposals for downtown districts. The planners' analysis suffered from a critical flaw: they failed to grasp the intricate web of daily movement that characterizes these communities. Because they underestimated how frequently residents travel between neighborhoods offering distinct amenities, planners concluded that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
public transit wouldn't help residents access services significantly different from those available in their immediate neighborhoods.
downtown areas would remain the primary destination for most residents regardless of transit availability.
residents would use public transit mainly during peak hours when traffic congestion was most severe.
public transit systems would primarily serve tourists and visitors rather than local residents.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Successful public transit networks depend on residents needing to access diverse services and opportunities across different urban areas." |
|
| "However, city planners working in mid-sized cities failed to recognize this principle when evaluating transit proposals for downtown districts." |
|
| "The planners' analysis suffered from a critical flaw: they failed to grasp the intricate web of daily movement that characterizes these communities." |
|
| "Because they underestimated how frequently residents travel between neighborhoods offering distinct amenities, planners concluded that ______" |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: City planners made flawed conclusions about transit proposals because they failed to understand how much residents actually travel between different neighborhoods for various services.
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
- If planners underestimated how much residents travel between neighborhoods for different amenities, they would conclude that people don't need transit to connect different areas because they assume people can get what they need locally without traveling to other neighborhoods.
public transit wouldn't help residents access services significantly different from those available in their immediate neighborhoods.
✓ Correct
- Perfectly matches the logical flow: if planners underestimated travel between neighborhoods, they'd conclude people don't need transit to access different services
- Shows the planners' flawed reasoning that people can get what they need in their immediate neighborhoods
downtown areas would remain the primary destination for most residents regardless of transit availability.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on downtown as primary destination, but the passage is about travel between different neighborhoods generally
residents would use public transit mainly during peak hours when traffic congestion was most severe.
✗ Incorrect
- About timing of transit use, but the planners' flaw was about underestimating frequency of travel between neighborhoods
public transit systems would primarily serve tourists and visitors rather than local residents.
✗ Incorrect
- About who would use transit, but the passage focuses on planners misunderstanding how locals move between neighborhoods