Urban air pollution severely impacts plant growth, causing most flowering species to wither within weeks of exposure. The high concentrations...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Urban air pollution severely impacts plant growth, causing most flowering species to wither within weeks of exposure. The high concentrations of sulfur dioxide ______ damage delicate plant tissues, explaining why botanical gardens in industrial cities require extensive air filtration systems.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
mildly
systematically
occasionally
temporarily
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Urban air pollution severely impacts plant growth, causing most flowering species to wither within weeks of exposure." |
|
| "The high concentrations of sulfur dioxide" |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| "damage delicate plant tissues," |
|
| "explaining why botanical gardens in industrial cities require extensive air filtration systems." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Urban air pollution, specifically sulfur dioxide, causes serious and consistent damage to plant tissues, requiring significant protective measures.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that urban air pollution severely harms plants, then identifies sulfur dioxide as the culprit that damages plant tissues in some specific way, and concludes by showing that this problem is serious enough that botanical gardens must invest in extensive air filtration systems.
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
- Looking at our analysis, we need a word that describes how high concentrations of sulfur dioxide damage plant tissues
- The context gives us several clues: The pollution severely impacts growth, plants wither within weeks, and the damage is serious enough that botanical gardens need extensive filtration systems
- This suggests the damage is consistent, thorough, and methodical rather than mild, occasional, or temporary
mildly
✗ Incorrect
- Mildly suggests gentle, slight damage
- This contradicts the severe impact described and the fact that plants wither within weeks
- If damage were mild, extensive filtration systems would not be necessary
systematically
✓ Correct
- Systematically means in an organized, methodical, consistent manner
- This matches the pattern we see: severe impacts leading to withering within weeks
- Explains why botanical gardens need extensive protection - the damage is predictable and thorough
occasionally
✗ Incorrect
- Occasionally suggests damage happens only sometimes
- This does not match the severe, predictable impacts described
- If damage were occasional, extensive filtration would not be justified
temporarily
✗ Incorrect
- Temporarily suggests the damage is short-lived or reversible
- This contradicts the need for extensive, permanent filtration systems
- The withering described seems to be lasting damage, not temporary harm