Question 152·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
City officials expected timed traffic signals to shorten queues downtown. Six months after the change, travel data showed the average wait at the river bridge fell, but delays at the hill junction doubled, as drivers rerouted to avoid the bridge. Rather than undo the timing, the transportation team studied origin–destination patterns and found that most congestion came from short trips within downtown. They converted one central lane to bus-only during rush hour and added a small loop shuttle, keeping the signals in place. Early results suggest the changes reduced local car trips without pushing more traffic into surrounding neighborhoods.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For overall-structure questions, quickly outline the passage in 2–4 plain-language steps (e.g., “they try X, then Y happens, then they do Z”). Then choose the option that matches both the order and the roles of those steps, eliminating choices that introduce elements not present (like competing theories, cost comparisons, or long-term forecasting).
Hints
Locate the key transitions
Pay attention to phrases like "Six months after the change," "but," and "Rather than undo the timing"—these signal shifts in what is happening in the passage.
Ask what is happening in each part
For each sentence or group of sentences, decide if it is describing a plan, a problem, a result, a comparison, or a prediction.
Eliminate structures that don't fit the story
Ask yourself: Does the passage discuss theories? Costs? Long-term trends and models? Or is it walking through stages of a practical attempt to manage traffic?
Check for a three-part pattern
See if you can identify three distinct moves the passage makes in order—this will help you match it more precisely to one of the choices.
Step-by-step Explanation
Break the passage into parts
Read the passage in chunks and ask what each part is doing:
- First sentence: officials implement timed traffic signals as a plan to reduce congestion.
- Second sentence: the results include an improvement at the bridge but a new problem elsewhere (delays doubling at the hill junction).
- Remaining sentences: instead of undoing the change, the team analyzes trip patterns and implements additional measures (bus-only lane, shuttle), with early results suggesting improvement.
So the passage follows a sequence of action → complication → adjusted action.
Describe the structure in your own words
Paraphrase the structure:
- They try an initial fix.
- That fix has an unintended side effect.
- They use new analysis to revise their approach and report early results.
Match to the best choice
Only one option describes that exact sequence (initial fix, unexpected side effect, then a revised response based on analysis). The best match is:
It describes an initial traffic fix, an unexpected side effect, and a revised, data-driven response.