Throughout the 20th century, most major American cities expanded outward from their downtown cores, creating sprawling suburban developments. During t...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Throughout the 20th century, most major American cities expanded outward from their downtown cores, creating sprawling suburban developments. During the 1990s, _____ Portland, Oregon pursued a radically different approach, implementing strict urban growth boundaries that forced development inward and upward instead.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
however,
for instance,
consequently,
similarly,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Throughout the 20th century, most major American cities expanded outward from their downtown cores, creating sprawling suburban developments.' |
|
| '[MISSING TRANSITION]' |
|
| 'Portland, Oregon pursued a radically different approach, implementing strict urban growth boundaries that forced development inward and upward instead.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While most American cities expanded outward in the 20th century, Portland took a different approach by implementing boundaries that forced inward development.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a widespread urban development pattern, then presents Portland as doing something fundamentally different from this established norm.
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
- Based on our analysis, we need a transition that shows contrast
- The first part describes most cities doing one thing (expanding outward), and the second part describes Portland doing the opposite (forcing development inward and upward)
- The phrase 'radically different approach' reinforces that this is a contrast, not a continuation or example of the general trend
however,
✓ Correct
- Creates the perfect contrast between the general outward expansion trend and Portland's opposite approach
- 'However' signals that what follows goes against or differs from what came before
for instance,
✗ Incorrect
- Would make Portland an example of outward expansion, but Portland did the opposite
- 'For instance' introduces examples that support the previous statement
consequently,
✗ Incorrect
- Would suggest Portland's approach resulted from the general outward expansion trend
- Creates a cause-and-effect relationship that doesn't exist in the passage
similarly,
✗ Incorrect
- Would indicate Portland did something like other cities, but the passage explicitly says Portland's approach was 'radically different'