Question 120·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
Urban ecologist Leena Dhar led a study tracking temperatures at 40 bus shelters across Phoenix during a three-week heatwave. Her team installed "living roofs"—shallow trays of native succulents—on half the shelters and left the others unchanged, then monitored shaded air temperature and surface heat. The modified shelters consistently recorded lower surface temperatures and slightly cooler shaded air, and riders reported feeling "less baked" while waiting. City staff, however, note that irrigation upkeep could be costly and uneven across neighborhoods, so the department has requested a cost–benefit analysis before considering a citywide rollout.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For text-structure questions, quickly summarize the passage in three parts—beginning, middle, and end—in your own words, focusing on what each part does (introduces a study, presents results, raises concerns, etc.). Then eliminate any choices that (1) describe events or attitudes that never appear, (2) get the order of ideas wrong, or (3) exaggerate the scope (pilot study vs. citywide plan). Match the overall flow and tone, especially the final sentence, to the answer that best fits the whole passage.
Hints
Focus on the first couple of sentences
Ask yourself: Is the text talking about a full citywide plan that is already happening, or is it describing a smaller test or study? That will help you eliminate some choices.
Notice how the study is described
What information is given about how the roofs were installed and what was measured? Think about whether the structure of the passage includes details like procedures and results.
Pay close attention to the final sentence
Is the ending enthusiastic, urging immediate action, or cautious, raising concerns or conditions before anything large‑scale happens? Use that tone shift to rule out answers that don’t match.
Check for extra ideas not in the passage
Some choices add elements like focusing on officials’ worries first, claiming the results were too modest to matter, or introducing multiple competing designs. Ask whether those things actually happen in the text.
Step-by-step Explanation
Summarize the beginning of the passage
Look at the first two sentences: they introduce urban ecologist Leena Dhar and describe a study at 40 bus shelters. The key ideas are:
- This is a study, not a policy already being rolled out.
- A modification was made to half the shelters: “living roofs” with native succulents.
- The other half were left unchanged, setting up a comparison.
Identify what the middle of the passage does
Next, the passage explains how the study was carried out and what it found:
- Method: they “monitored shaded air temperature and surface heat.”
- Results: modified shelters had “lower surface temperatures and slightly cooler shaded air,” and riders felt “less baked.” So the middle section is focused on measurement methods and outcomes, including both objective data and rider impressions.
Analyze the ending of the passage
The final sentence shifts focus from scientific results to practical policy concerns:
- City staff say irrigation upkeep “could be costly and uneven across neighborhoods.”
- Because of that, the department wants a cost–benefit analysis before a “citywide rollout.” This is not enthusiastic promotion of immediate expansion; it is a caution about barriers to scaling up the modification and a need for more analysis.
Match this structure to the best answer choice
Now compare your three-part summary to the choices:
- The correct description must: (1) introduce a limited test/experiment, (2) describe methods and findings, and (3) end with a real‑world constraint on expanding the change.
- Choice A exactly follows that pattern, so A) It presents a pilot modification to bus shelters, explains how the study measured its effects and what it found, and then notes a practical barrier to scaling the modification. is the best answer.