PT139.S2.P1.Q5

PrepTest 139 - Section 2 - Passage 1 - Question 5

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P1

Over the past 50 years, expansive, low-density . ███████████ ████ ████████████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ ███ ██████ ██████ ███ ███████ ████████ █ ██████████ █████ ██ ████████ ███████ ███

Intro to Phenomenon · Rise of suburban sprawl
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Problem · Suburban sprawl causes decline of civic life
New Urbanists view the phenomenon (suburban sprawl) as a problem.
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Cause of Problem · Zoning laws create physical separation
New Urbanists claim that zoning laws that separate spaces by function (commercial, residential, school, etc.) also precludes communal spaces (like a town square). This is likened to a family that doesn't have a home.
P2

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Aspect of Problem · Economic separation
The housing subdivisions tend to be identical in price hence children growing up will be sheltered from exposure to economic diversity.
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Aspect of Problem · Cars erode civility
Since roads connect the various subdivisions, people spend more time in cars which encourages antisocial behavior.
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Solution · Mix housing and public space
New Urbanists believe that mix housing (different prices) and walkable public spaces will encourage civic interactions.
P3

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Opponents' Critique · Suburban sprawl is an expression of people's values
Opponents do not frame the phenomenon as a problem. Instead, they view it as a legitimate desire to have the kind of lifestyle that suburban sprawl makes possible (house, car, backyard, etc.).
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New Urbanists' Rebuttal · Take a critical view of values and consider the conflict with other values
New Urbanists just want people to take a critical view of these values (individual mobility, consumption, etc.) and to consider that it may conflict with other values (civic engagement, community life, etc.).
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Problem-analysis
Show answer
5.

Which one of the following, ██ █████ █████ ████ ██████ ███ ████████ ████ ███ ███████ ██████████ ██ ███████ ██ ███ ███ ██████████

a

Most people who █████ ████ ████ ████ ████ █████ ████ ███████ ████ ███ █████ ████ ██ ███████ ████ ██ ███████ █████ ██ █████ ███████

This points out that central areas of large cities might be inconvenient. But this doesn’t reveal anything about the motives of people who move to sprawling suburbs. If anything, it might suggest that people would move to suburbs and away from city centers for a more enjoyable life.

9%
b

Most people who █████ █████ ████ █████████ ███ ████████ ███ █████████████ ████ ██ █████ █████ ██████ ████ ██ ████████ █████ ███████████ █████ ███████

This doesn’t reveal anything about why people live in suburbs and whether it has anything to do with the desire for more enjoyment and mobility. If anything, this might suggest that people would move to suburbs and away from small towns for a more enjoyable and more convenient life.

11%
c

Most people who ████ ████ ██████ ██ ████████ ███ █████████████ ██ ███ ████ ██ ████████ ██████

This doesn’t reveal anything about why people live in suburbs and whether it has anything to do with the desire for more enjoyment and mobility.

4%
d

Most people who ██████ ██ ████ ██ █████████ ███████ ██ ██ ███████ ██████████ ███████ ██ █████████████ ████ ██ ███ ███████ █████████ ██████████ ██████ ██ ████ ██████████

This undermines the critics’ position by suggesting that the reason people move to suburbs is cost, not desire for an automobile-based lifestyle.

75%
e

Most people who ████ ██ █████████ █████████ ██ ███ ████ █████ █████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ███████████ █████████ ██ ██████ █████████

The critics of New Urbanism didn’t say anything related to voting and the reasons people vote. So it’s not clear how this undermines their position.

1%

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