Question 13·Easy·Text Structure and Purpose
Rooftop gardens are increasingly promoted as a way to combat the urban heat-island effect. By covering buildings with vegetation, cities can lower surface temperatures and reduce energy consumption for cooling. Many municipalities therefore offer tax credits or grants to encourage building owners to install plant-covered roofs. Yet widespread adoption remains limited because the gardens require high upfront investment and ongoing maintenance that some owners are unwilling or unable to afford.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For text-structure questions, quickly divide the passage into parts (beginning, middle, end) and ask what each part is doing (e.g., introducing a problem, giving a solution, presenting evidence, raising a concern). Watch for signal words like "however," "yet," "therefore," or "for example," which show contrasts, conclusions, or illustrations. Then choose the answer that matches this pattern without adding elements that aren’t in the text, such as extra viewpoints, detailed evidence, or outcomes that the passage never mentions.
Hints
Separate the passage into parts
Think about what the first few sentences are doing versus what the final sentence is doing. How does the focus shift from the beginning to the end?
Notice key signal words
Pay close attention to the word "Yet" at the start of the last sentence. What does this word tell you about the relationship between that sentence and the sentences before it?
Check for what is not in the passage
Ask yourself: Do we see multiple different attempts? Successful real-world examples? Two sides arguing about a policy? Or just one proposed approach and a reason it is hard to use widely?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the main issue discussed
Look at the first sentence: it mentions the "urban heat-island effect" and says rooftop gardens are promoted as a way to combat it. This tells you the underlying issue is an environmental/urban heat problem, and rooftop gardens are being suggested as a response to that issue.
See what role rooftop gardens play in the passage
The next sentences explain how rooftop gardens could help: they "lower surface temperatures and reduce energy consumption for cooling," and cities even offer incentives ("tax credits or grants") so owners will install them. This section is clearly describing a strategy or solution that is meant to address the initial problem.
Pay attention to the contrast signal word
The last sentence starts with "Yet," a word that signals contrast or a problem. It says that widespread adoption is still limited because of "high upfront investment and ongoing maintenance" that some owners cannot afford. This shows there is a difficulty or obstacle in putting the strategy into practice, even though it sounds promising.
Match this structure to the best answer choice
Overall, the text (1) presents rooftop gardens as a way to address the urban heat-island issue and (2) then explains why many building owners do not adopt them: cost and maintenance challenges. The answer choice that best describes this structure is: "It introduces a strategy intended to address an issue and then explains why carrying out that strategy may be challenging."