Question 97·Easy·Text Structure and Purpose
Urban planners recently evaluated adding so-called "pocket parks" to several densely populated neighborhoods. Residents in these areas often lack access to green spaces, a deficiency linked to increased stress levels and reduced community interaction. By repurposing vacant lots into mini-parks equipped with benches, native plants, and shade trees, the planners aim to provide relaxing communal areas within a five-minute walk of every apartment building. Early surveys show strong neighborhood support for the idea.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
For function questions, read the sentence before and after the underlined sentence to see the local structure (for example, problem → solution or claim → evidence). Then paraphrase what the underlined sentence is doing (proposing a plan, giving evidence, introducing a concern, summarizing reactions) and choose the option that matches that role without adding details the sentence does not include.
Hints
Connect it to the previous sentence
The sentence before the underlined one describes a problem. Ask yourself whether the underlined sentence responds with a solution, evidence, or something else.
Focus on what the sentence does
Does the underlined sentence mainly describe an action the planners will take, or does it report results/opinions?
Eliminate choices that add new information
Cross out any option that mentions data/results, a different problem, or residents’ opinions if those elements are not actually in the underlined sentence.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the problem stated before the underlined sentence
The text says residents in these neighborhoods often lack access to green spaces, which is linked to higher stress and less community interaction.
Paraphrase what the underlined sentence is doing
The underlined sentence explains what the planners aim to do: convert vacant lots into mini-parks so people have a relaxing communal green space within a short walk.
Match that role to the best answer choice
Because the sentence lays out the planners’ intended approach to solve the lack-of-green-space problem, the correct answer is: It explains the planners’ plan to turn vacant lots into nearby green space.