Urban planning expert Francisco Lara-Valencia and colleagues have argued that managing environmental matters along the US-Mexico border ________ coord...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Urban planning expert Francisco Lara-Valencia and colleagues have argued that managing environmental matters along the US-Mexico border ________ coordination between the two countries' governments. Since ecosystems extend across the border, actions taken on one side can have environmental effects on the other side, making international cooperation essential.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
requires
praises
reports
advises
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Urban planning expert Francisco Lara-Valencia and colleagues have argued that managing environmental matters along the US-Mexico border' |
|
| [MISSING WORD/PHRASE] |
|
| 'coordination between the two countries' governments.' |
|
| 'Since ecosystems extend across the border, actions taken on one side can have environmental effects on the other side, making international cooperation essential.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Managing environmental issues along the US-Mexico border creates a specific relationship with coordination between the two governments, and this relationship is essential because environmental impacts cross national boundaries.
Argument Flow: An expert makes a claim about how border environmental management relates to government coordination. The passage then explains why this relationship exists by showing that since ecosystems don't respect borders, actions in one country affect the other, making cooperation necessary.
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 shows what managing environmental matters along the border does in relation to coordination between governments
- The supporting evidence tells us that cooperation is 'essential' because actions on one side affect the other side
- This suggests that managing border environmental issues creates a need for or demands coordination between governments
- The logical relationship should be one where border environmental management creates a necessity or demand for government coordination, not just a suggestion or observation about it
- So the right answer should show that managing environmental matters along the border makes coordination between governments necessary or mandatory
requires
✓ Correct
- Creates the logical relationship that border environmental management makes coordination necessary
- Matches perfectly with the evidence that cooperation is 'essential'
- Shows the demanding/necessitating relationship between environmental management and government coordination
praises
✗ Incorrect
- 'Praises' suggests the expert is giving approval or commendation to coordination
- Doesn't match the logical flow - the expert isn't praising coordination, but arguing about its relationship to environmental management
- What trap this represents: Students might be tempted if they misread the passage as the expert simply approving of coordination rather than arguing about its necessity
reports
✗ Incorrect
- 'Reports' suggests the expert is simply providing information about coordination
- Creates a weak observational relationship rather than the strong logical connection the evidence supports
- Doesn't align with the 'essential' cooperation mentioned in the supporting evidence
advises
✗ Incorrect
- 'Advises' suggests the expert is giving recommendations about coordination
- Makes the relationship about suggestions rather than necessity
- What trap this represents: Students might choose this thinking the expert is making a recommendation, but the evidence shows cooperation is essential, not just advised