Urban planner James Rodriguez works with the city council to address housing shortages in downtown areas. Despite facing significant zoning...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Urban planner James Rodriguez works with the city council to address housing shortages in downtown areas. Despite facing significant zoning restrictions, he believes that converting unused commercial buildings into residential units would ______ affordable housing initiatives, as this approach bypasses lengthy new construction approval processes.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
obstruct
accelerate
compromise
delay
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Urban planner James Rodriguez works with the city council to address housing shortages in downtown areas.' |
|
| 'Despite facing significant zoning restrictions,' |
|
| 'he believes that converting unused commercial buildings into residential units would _______ affordable housing initiatives,' |
|
| 'as this approach bypasses lengthy new construction approval processes.' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Rodriguez believes converting commercial buildings to residential units would help affordable housing initiatives because it avoids time-consuming approval processes.
Argument Flow: We learn Rodriguez is tackling housing shortages but faces zoning restrictions. Despite these obstacles, he proposes converting unused commercial buildings to residential units, which would have some effect on affordable housing initiatives. The reason this approach would work is that it skips the lengthy approval processes required for new construction.
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
- From our analysis, we see that Rodriguez faces obstacles (zoning restrictions) but still believes his conversion approach will impact affordable housing initiatives
- The key clue comes after the blank: this approach 'bypasses lengthy new construction approval processes'
- The logical relationship here is that because the conversion approach avoids time-consuming processes, it should have a positive, speeding-up effect on affordable housing initiatives
- We need a word that shows this solution would help or speed up these initiatives, not hinder them
- So the right answer should indicate that converting buildings would help or speed up affordable housing efforts
obstruct
✗ Incorrect
- This means to block or hinder something
- Doesn't make logical sense - if the approach bypasses lengthy processes, it wouldn't obstruct housing initiatives
- Creates a contradiction with the supporting reason
accelerate
✓ Correct
- This means to speed up or make something happen faster
- Perfectly matches our prethinking - bypassing lengthy approval processes would speed up housing initiatives
- Creates logical flow: conversion → faster process → accelerated housing initiatives
compromise
✗ Incorrect
- This means to weaken or settle for less than ideal
- Doesn't align with the positive reasoning provided about bypassing lengthy processes
- Trap: Students might think 'compromise' fits because Rodriguez is facing restrictions, but the passage shows his solution as beneficial, not a settling for less
delay
✗ Incorrect
- This means to slow down or postpone
- Directly contradicts the logic - if the approach bypasses lengthy processes, it wouldn't delay initiatives
- Creates the opposite relationship from what the reasoning supports