The city's new express bus lanes have reduced traffic congestion significantly, making the previously unreliable service much more ______.

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Create Passage Analysis Table

Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements

Main Point: Express bus lanes have improved traffic flow, transforming a previously unreliable bus service.

Argument Flow: The passage presents a simple cause-and-effect relationship where infrastructure improvements (express lanes) led to reduced congestion, which in turn improved the quality of bus service that was previously problematic.

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

• The key relationship here is a contrast between "previously unreliable service" and what it has become after the traffic improvements
• The word we need should: directly contrast with "unreliable", make logical sense as a result of reduced traffic congestion, and complete the cause-and-effect chain: better lanes leads to less congestion leads to more reliable service