While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:The city of Portland, Oregon experienced a significant urban heat...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The city of Portland, Oregon experienced a significant urban heat crisis during the 2021 summer heat dome event.
- City officials identified the lack of tree canopy coverage as a contributing factor to dangerous temperature increases.
- In response, Portland launched a comprehensive neighborhood tree-planting initiative in 2022.
- The program provides free saplings to residents and offers community workshops on urban forestry.
- Early monitoring data shows measurable temperature reductions in neighborhoods with increased tree coverage.
- Environmental scientists project that continued expansion could reduce urban heat effects by up to 8 degrees.
The student wants to explain the relationship between Portland's heat crisis and its tree-planting program. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Portland's tree-planting initiative provides free saplings to residents and offers community workshops on urban forestry techniques.
Environmental scientists believe that expanding Portland's tree-planting program could reduce urban heat effects significantly.
Following a severe urban heat crisis that revealed insufficient tree coverage, Portland launched a tree-planting initiative that has already shown temperature reduction benefits.
The 2021 heat dome event demonstrated Portland's vulnerability to extreme temperatures and the importance of urban planning.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The city of Portland, Oregon experienced a significant urban heat crisis during the 2021 summer heat dome event." |
|
| "City officials identified the lack of tree canopy coverage as a contributing factor to dangerous temperature increases." |
|
| "In response, Portland launched a comprehensive neighborhood tree-planting initiative in 2022." |
|
| "The program provides free saplings to residents and offers community workshops on urban forestry." |
|
| "Early monitoring data shows measurable temperature reductions in neighborhoods with increased tree coverage." |
|
| "Environmental scientists project that continued expansion could reduce urban heat effects by up to 8 degrees." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Portland responded to its 2021 heat crisis by launching a tree-planting program that has already shown promising temperature reduction results.
Argument Flow: The passage follows a clear problem-solution-results structure. It starts by establishing Portland's heat crisis and identifying the root cause (insufficient tree coverage), then explains the city's response (tree-planting initiative), and concludes with evidence of the program's effectiveness and future potential.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The student wants to explain the relationship between Portland's heat crisis and its tree-planting program.
What type of answer do we need? We need an answer that shows how these two things are connected - specifically how the crisis led to or relates to the tree program.
Any limiting keywords? The key phrase is "relationship between" - this means we need to show the connection, not just describe one or the other in isolation.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The correct answer needs to show the connection between the crisis and the program
- From our analysis, we can see this relationship clearly:
- The heat crisis happened and revealed a problem (lack of trees)
- This discovery led Portland to create the tree-planting program
- The program has already shown benefits
- The right answer should explain this cause-and-effect relationship: crisis revealed the problem, which prompted the solution, which is working
Portland's tree-planting initiative provides free saplings to residents and offers community workshops on urban forestry techniques.
✗ Incorrect
- This only describes what the program offers (free saplings and workshops)
- It completely ignores the heat crisis and doesn't explain any relationship
- Students might choose this because it contains accurate information from the notes, but it fails to address the relationship the question asks for
Environmental scientists believe that expanding Portland's tree-planting program could reduce urban heat effects significantly.
✗ Incorrect
- This only mentions scientists' future projections about the program
- It doesn't connect the program to the original heat crisis
- Students might be drawn to the specific "8 degrees" detail, but this choice doesn't establish the relationship between crisis and response
Following a severe urban heat crisis that revealed insufficient tree coverage, Portland launched a tree-planting initiative that has already shown temperature reduction benefits.
✓ Correct
- Shows the complete relationship: crisis revealed insufficient tree coverage, which led to launching the initiative, which has shown benefits
- Includes all key elements of the relationship we identified in our prethinking
- Uses relevant information from multiple bullet points to create a coherent narrative
The 2021 heat dome event demonstrated Portland's vulnerability to extreme temperatures and the importance of urban planning.
✗ Incorrect
- Mentions the heat crisis and urban planning generally
- Fails to specifically connect to Portland's tree-planting program
- This might appeal to students who recognize the crisis is important, but it doesn't address the tree program relationship that's central to the question