Question 107·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
For decades, urban planners have assumed that adding lanes to major roads would ease traffic congestion. Transportation analyst Shira Berman, however, points to data from dozens of U.S. metropolitan areas indicating that each new kilometer of roadway quickly attracts enough additional drivers to restore previous crowding levels. Berman therefore argues that investing in reliable public transit, rather than building more highways, is the only way to achieve lasting relief from gridlock.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For "overall structure" questions, first quickly mark what each part of the passage is doing (for example: introducing a belief, presenting a contrast, giving evidence, drawing a conclusion). Look for strong signal words like "however," "therefore," "for example," and time markers that indicate contrast, cause/effect, examples, or chronology. Then choose the answer that best summarizes that pattern for the whole passage, ignoring tempting choices that mention details present in the text but misrepresent the basic organization.
Hints
Focus on the first sentence
Ask yourself: is the first sentence telling a story over time, describing a method, or summarizing what many professionals have believed?
Pay attention to the word "however"
What does "however" signal about the relationship between Berman’s point and the earlier assumption by urban planners?
Compare the pattern to the choices
Once you see how the passage moves from the first sentence to Berman’s conclusion, look for the answer choice that best captures that overall pattern, not small details like specific solutions or examples.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the first sentence is doing
Look at the opening: "For decades, urban planners have assumed that adding lanes to major roads would ease traffic congestion." This does not describe a specific experiment or a historical timeline; instead, it summarizes a belief or assumption that many professionals have held for a long time.
See how the author shifts with new information
The next part begins, "Transportation analyst Shira Berman, however, points to data..." The word "however" shows contrast with the earlier assumption. Berman’s data show that added roadway brings in more drivers so that congestion returns, and she then concludes that investing in public transit is the only lasting solution. So the text moves from the long-held assumption to data and an argument that contradicts that assumption and proposes something different.
Match this pattern to the answer choices
The structure is: first, state a widely held idea; second, introduce contrasting evidence and an argument that undermines that idea and points to a different approach. Among the choices, the one that describes presenting a commonly accepted idea and then offering evidence that challenges that idea is the best match, so the correct answer is: "It presents a commonly accepted idea, then offers evidence that challenges that idea."