Question 71·Medium·Words in Context
In designing the new urban park, the landscape architects aimed to create a space that would ______ both environmental sustainability and community engagement, incorporating native plants alongside outdoor classrooms and art installations.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words-in-Context questions, always start by summarizing the idea of the sentence in your own words and noting whether the tone is positive, negative, or neutral. Then, without looking at the choices, think about what kind of action or relationship the blank must show (for example, supporting vs. harming). Next, test each option by plugging it into the sentence and asking: Does its exact dictionary meaning fit both the tone and the logic of the surrounding details? Quickly eliminate words that have the wrong positive/negative feel or contradict the situation described, and choose the one that matches both meaning and tone most precisely.
Hints
Use the context around the blank
Focus on the phrase "aimed to create a space" and what follows the blank: "both environmental sustainability and community engagement." What kind of action would a well-designed park take toward these two goals?
Check the tone of the examples
Look at the examples after the comma: "incorporating native plants alongside outdoor classrooms and art installations." Do these details suggest something being harmed, hidden, controlled, or helped?
Eliminate clearly negative or ill-fitting words
Ask yourself for each option: Does this word fit a positive goal for a public park, or does it sound negative or out of place with the idea of sustainability and engagement?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the architects are trying to do
Read the sentence carefully: the landscape architects "aimed to create a space that would ______ both environmental sustainability and community engagement." The examples that follow—native plants, outdoor classrooms, art installations—are all positive features. This tells you the missing word should describe a positive effect on sustainability and engagement.
Pay attention to the positive tone
Words like "aimed to create," "environmental sustainability," "community engagement," and thoughtful design elements all suggest a goal of supporting or encouraging these outcomes. Any word that suggests harming, hiding, or controlling in a harsh way will clash with this positive, supportive tone.
Test each option for meaning and tone
Go through the answer choices:
- "undermine" means to weaken or damage.
- "dictate" means to command or control authoritatively.
- "obscure" means to hide or make unclear. Only one option describes supporting and helping to grow environmental sustainability and community engagement in a park that uses native plants and community-focused features. That word is "foster," which means to promote or encourage the development of something, so it completes the sentence logically and precisely.