StrengthenDiff: hardest
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: When a small town grows too quickly, the demand for basic services like water and building permits spikes, but the city can't afford to hire new workers fast enough to handle the load.
Conclusion: Rapid population growth can have a devastating impact on small cities.
Reasoning: Cities require a specific ratio of staff to residents, but sudden growth overwhelms utility and permit departments while budget constraints prevent immediate hiring.
Analysis: The argument provides a clear mechanism for why growth is difficult—overloaded services and hiring freezes—but it doesn't quite prove that this situation is 'disastrous.' To strengthen this, we need to bridge the gap between 'overloaded services' and 'disaster.' Look for an answer that shows these specific service delays (utilities and permits) lead to significant, long-term problems for the city's infrastructure or economy. Strengthening the link between the budget's inability to adapt and the severity of the service failure will bolster the author's warning.
Conclusion: Rapid population growth can have a devastating impact on small cities.
Reasoning: Cities require a specific ratio of staff to residents, but sudden growth overwhelms utility and permit departments while budget constraints prevent immediate hiring.
Analysis: The argument provides a clear mechanism for why growth is difficult—overloaded services and hiring freezes—but it doesn't quite prove that this situation is 'disastrous.' To strengthen this, we need to bridge the gap between 'overloaded services' and 'disaster.' Look for an answer that shows these specific service delays (utilities and permits) lead to significant, long-term problems for the city's infrastructure or economy. Strengthening the link between the budget's inability to adapt and the severity of the service failure will bolster the author's warning.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage25.Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
Correct Answer
E
E directly strengthens the budget-timing problem: if new residents of most small cities don’t start paying city taxes for at least a year, there’s a clear revenue lag. That means services are overloaded immediately, but the funds to hire staff arrive much later—exactly the mechanism that makes rapid population growth potentially disastrous.
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