Traffic congestion during peak hours creates significant delays for urban commuters—a persistent challenge that traditional signal timing systems stru...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Traffic congestion during peak hours creates significant delays for urban commuters—a persistent challenge that traditional signal timing systems struggle to address effectively. City planners studying swarm intelligence observed how ant colonies optimize pathways through pheromone communication, where individual ants reinforce successful routes while abandoned paths fade over time. Inspired by this biological system, traffic engineers developed adaptive signal networks that adjust timing based on real-time vehicle flow data, creating dynamic routing patterns that respond to changing conditions throughout the day.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
It identifies a limitation of current urban infrastructure, describes a natural phenomenon that suggested an alternative approach, and then explains how city planners implemented a technology based on that biological model.
It compares the effectiveness of traditional traffic management with modern approaches, analyzes the benefits of studying animal behavior for urban planning, and then evaluates the success rate of bio-inspired city systems.
It outlines the primary causes of urban traffic problems, demonstrates how ant colonies navigate more efficiently than human transportation systems, and then argues for replacing current infrastructure with nature-based alternatives.
It presents the challenges facing modern cities, examines various solutions that urban planners have tested over time, and then recommends the most cost-effective approach for reducing commuter delays.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Traffic congestion during peak hours creates significant delays for urban commuters—a persistent challenge that traditional signal timing systems struggle to address effectively. |
|
| City planners studying swarm intelligence observed how ant colonies optimize pathways through pheromone communication, where individual ants reinforce successful routes while abandoned paths fade over time. |
|
| Inspired by this biological system, traffic engineers developed adaptive signal networks that adjust timing based on real-time vehicle flow data, creating dynamic routing patterns that respond to changing conditions throughout the day. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map: [PROBLEM] Traffic congestion + traditional systems inadequate → [BIOLOGICAL INSPIRATION] Ant colonies optimize paths via pheromones → [TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTION] Adaptive signal networks based on ant model
Main Point: Traffic engineers solved urban congestion problems by creating adaptive signal systems inspired by how ant colonies optimize their pathways.
Argument Flow: The passage follows a problem-inspiration-solution structure. It starts with a persistent urban transportation challenge, then introduces a natural system that offered insights, and concludes by showing how engineers applied this biological model to create a technological solution.
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, the right answer should capture three key elements:
- First, it should recognize that the passage starts by identifying a problem or limitation with current systems
- Second, it should note that the passage introduces a natural/biological system that provided inspiration
- Third, it should explain that the passage shows how this biological insight was applied to create a practical solution
It identifies a limitation of current urban infrastructure, describes a natural phenomenon that suggested an alternative approach, and then explains how city planners implemented a technology based on that biological model.
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures the three-part structure we identified
- Identifies a limitation matches the traffic congestion problem and traditional signal inadequacy
- Describes a natural phenomenon that suggested an alternative fits the ant colony pheromone system
- Explains how city planners implemented a technology based on that biological model matches the adaptive signal networks development
It compares the effectiveness of traditional traffic management with modern approaches, analyzes the benefits of studying animal behavior for urban planning, and then evaluates the success rate of bio-inspired city systems.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the passage compares effectiveness of traditional vs. modern approaches, but we don't see any comparison of results or effectiveness data
- Says it evaluates the success rate but the passage doesn't provide any success metrics or evaluation of outcomes
It outlines the primary causes of urban traffic problems, demonstrates how ant colonies navigate more efficiently than human transportation systems, and then argues for replacing current infrastructure with nature-based alternatives.
✗ Incorrect
- Says it outlines primary causes but the passage doesn't analyze multiple causes
- Claims it demonstrates how ant colonies navigate more efficiently but the passage doesn't compare ant efficiency to human systems
It presents the challenges facing modern cities, examines various solutions that urban planners have tested over time, and then recommends the most cost-effective approach for reducing commuter delays.
✗ Incorrect
- Says it examines various solutions that urban planners have tested over time but the passage only mentions one solution
- Claims it recommends the most cost-effective approach but there's no discussion of cost or comparison of multiple approaches