The city of Portland's streetcar system, launched in 1891, initially served only the downtown business district and a few affluent...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The city of Portland's streetcar system, launched in 1891, initially served only the downtown business district and a few affluent neighborhoods. Despite this limited scope, the streetcars attracted _____ ridership: by 1895, transportation records showed that nearly 75 percent of Portland residents had used the system at least once.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
disappointing
predictable
remarkable
modest
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The city of Portland's streetcar system, launched in 1891, initially served only the downtown business district and a few affluent neighborhoods.' |
|
| '[MISSING WORD]' |
|
| 'ridership: by 1895, transportation records showed that nearly 75 percent of Portland residents had used the system at least once.' |
|
| 'Despite this limited scope, the streetcars attracted' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite serving only limited areas, Portland's streetcar system achieved unexpectedly high ridership levels.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that the streetcar had a limited geographic scope, then contrasts this limitation with evidence showing widespread usage among residents, creating a surprising outcome that defies expectations.
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
- We have a clear contrast set up: 'Despite this limited scope' signals that something unexpected happened
- The missing word describes the ridership, and we know from the evidence that 75% of residents used the system at least once
- That's a very high percentage, especially considering the system only served downtown and affluent neighborhoods initially
- The word needs to capture that this ridership level was impressive or surprising given the limited geographic reach
- So the right answer should describe ridership that exceeded expectations in a positive, impressive way
disappointing
disappointing
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the ridership was below expectations or unsatisfactory
- Completely contradicts the 75% usage rate, which is objectively high
- Doesn't fit with the 'despite' structure that signals something positive happened against the odds
predictable
predictable
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the ridership outcome was expected or unsurprising
- Contradicts the 'despite' signal, which indicates something unexpected occurred
remarkable
remarkable
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures that 75% ridership was impressive and noteworthy
- Fits the 'despite' contrast structure - limited scope BUT remarkable results
- Matches our prethinking that the word should reflect something exceeded expectations
modest
modest
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests small or limited ridership numbers
- Contradicts the evidence that 75% is actually a high percentage