The proposed zoning changes were by no means ______ to neighborhood residents; public hearings revealed broad consensus supporting the mixed-use...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The proposed zoning changes were by no means ______ to neighborhood residents; public hearings revealed broad consensus supporting the mixed-use development plan. Unfortunately, recent state budget cuts may delay the infrastructure improvements needed for implementation.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
acceptable
controversial
beneficial
popular
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The proposed zoning changes were by no means ______" |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| "to neighborhood residents;" |
|
| "public hearings revealed broad consensus supporting the mixed-use development plan." |
|
| "Unfortunately, recent state budget cuts may delay the infrastructure improvements needed for implementation." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The proposed zoning changes had strong community support, though budget constraints may affect implementation.
Argument Flow: The passage first characterizes the zoning changes in relation to residents, then provides evidence of actual community support through public hearings, and concludes with a potential implementation challenge due to budget cuts.
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 between "by no means [blank]" and the evidence that follows
- We know from our analysis that public hearings revealed "broad consensus supporting" the plan
- If residents broadly supported the changes, then the changes were "by no means" something negative
- So the right answer should be a word that would typically describe something residents would oppose, making "by no means [that word]" mean the changes were actually well-received
acceptable
✗ Incorrect
"Acceptable" is positive - if changes were "by no means acceptable," this would contradict the broad support.
controversial
✓ Correct
"Controversial" fits perfectly. "By no means controversial" means the changes did not cause conflict, which aligns with "broad consensus supporting."
beneficial
✗ Incorrect
"Beneficial" is positive - "by no means beneficial" would mean harmful, contradicting residents showing support.
popular
✗ Incorrect
"Popular" is positive - "by no means popular" contradicts "broad consensus supporting."