Text 1:Urban air quality researchers have depended extensively on PM2.5 monitoring networks to evaluate pollution concentrations in city environments....
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Urban air quality researchers have depended extensively on PM2.5 monitoring networks to evaluate pollution concentrations in city environments. These mechanized detectors deliver accurate numerical measurements that scientists have employed to pinpoint particular contamination origins—data indicating heightened particulate matter levels in proximity to manufacturing complexes are viewed as concrete proof that industrial operations are causing neighborhood air quality degradation. Certain regulatory authorities have utilized these findings to establish focused restrictions on particular manufacturing processes.
Text 2:
Environmental methodology expert Dr. Sarah Chen has contended that treating PM2.5 measurements as straightforward indicators of individual pollution sources may ignore the complicated, interlinked characteristics of metropolitan atmospheric systems. Air quality data, according to Chen, represents the fluid interplay of numerous atmospheric phenomena, climatic conditions, and contamination origins, creating difficulties when attempting to establish direct cause-and-effect relationships between specific installations and recorded pollution concentrations.
According to the passages, what would Dr. Sarah Chen (Text 2) most likely conclude regarding the methodology outlined in the underlined section of Text 1?
Elevated readings near industrial facilities may reflect complex atmospheric interactions rather than direct emissions from those specific sources.
It is likely that some elevated readings near multiple facilities indicate coordinated emission patterns from the same industrial sector.
Some monitoring stations may have been incorrectly positioned and thus provide misleading data about specific facility emissions.
Readings showing elevated particulate matter are significantly more reliable indicators than measurements of other air pollutants.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Urban air quality researchers have depended extensively on PM2.5 monitoring networks to evaluate pollution concentrations in city environments." |
|
| "These mechanized detectors deliver accurate numerical measurements that scientists have employed to pinpoint particular contamination origins" |
|
| "data indicating heightened particulate matter levels in proximity to manufacturing complexes are viewed as concrete proof that industrial operations are causing neighborhood air quality degradation." |
|
| "Certain regulatory authorities have utilized these findings to establish focused restrictions on particular manufacturing processes." |
|
| "Environmental methodology expert Dr. Sarah Chen has contended that treating PM2.5 measurements as straightforward indicators of individual pollution sources may ignore the complicated, interlinked characteristics of metropolitan atmospheric systems." |
|
| "Air quality data, according to Chen, represents the fluid interplay of numerous atmospheric phenomena, climatic conditions, and contamination origins" |
|
| "creating difficulties when attempting to establish direct cause-and-effect relationships between specific installations and recorded pollution concentrations." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Text 1 presents the standard approach of using PM2.5 data to directly attribute pollution to nearby sources, while Text 2 challenges this methodology by arguing that atmospheric systems are too complex for such straightforward interpretations.
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
- Chen argues that PM2.5 measurements should not be treated as straightforward indicators because urban atmospheric systems involve complex, interconnected factors
- The underlined methodology treats high readings near factories as concrete proof of industrial causation
- Chen would likely conclude that this approach is problematic because it ignores the fluid interplay of numerous atmospheric phenomena, climatic conditions, and contamination origins
Elevated readings near industrial facilities may reflect complex atmospheric interactions rather than direct emissions from those specific sources.
- Directly reflects Chen's argument that atmospheric systems are complex and interconnected
- Aligns with her view that PM2.5 data represents fluid interplay of numerous atmospheric phenomena
- Matches her concern about the difficulty of establishing direct cause-and-effect relationships
It is likely that some elevated readings near multiple facilities indicate coordinated emission patterns from the same industrial sector.
- Focuses on coordinated emission patterns from the same industrial sector
- Chen's argument is not about coordination between facilities but about the complexity of atmospheric systems themselves
Some monitoring stations may have been incorrectly positioned and thus provide misleading data about specific facility emissions.
- Suggests the problem is with monitoring station positioning
- Chen's criticism targets the interpretation methodology, not the data collection setup
Readings showing elevated particulate matter are significantly more reliable indicators than measurements of other air pollutants.
- Compares PM2.5 reliability to other air pollutants
- Chen's argument does not involve comparing different types of pollutant measurements