The mayor's ambitious urban renewal project promised to revitalize the downtown district through massive infrastructure investments. However, the init...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The mayor's ambitious urban renewal project promised to revitalize the downtown district through massive infrastructure investments. However, the initiative has proven ______: despite spending \(\$50\) million, vacant storefronts have increased from \(30\%\) to \(45\%\), and local business revenue has declined by \(20\%\).
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
innovative
disappointing
expensive
popular
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The mayor's ambitious urban renewal project promised to revitalize the downtown district through massive infrastructure investments." |
|
| "However, the initiative has proven ________:" | What it is: Missing logical connector - transitions from promise to reality |
| "despite spending $50 million, vacant storefronts have increased from 30% to 45%, and local business revenue has declined by 20%." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The mayor's urban renewal project failed to deliver on its promises despite significant financial investment.
Argument Flow: The passage sets up a contrast between what was promised (revitalization) and what actually happened (deterioration). The missing word needs to bridge this gap between expectation and disappointing 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
- The word we need must capture the relationship between the project's promise and its actual results
- The project promised to revitalize downtown, but instead things got worse (more vacant storefronts, less revenue)
- The missing word should convey that the project failed to meet expectations or produced negative results
innovative
- While the project might have been innovative, the passage focuses on results, not methods
- This ignores the clear contrast being established
disappointing
- Perfectly captures the contrast between what was promised and what happened
- Creates logical flow: promised good results, however proven disappointing, here's the evidence of failure
expensive
- While $50 million was spent, this misses the main point about effectiveness
- The passage isn't primarily concerned with cost but with results
popular
- The passage provides no information about public opinion
- Doesn't connect to the evidence about vacant storefronts or revenue