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Emily: This plan to issue bonds to raise money to repair the bridges over the river will waste a lot...

GMAT Two Part Analysis : (TPA) Questions

Source: Official Guide
Two Part Analysis
Verbal - RC
HARD
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Emily: This plan to issue bonds to raise money to repair the bridges over the river will waste a lot of money. The city insists on preserving the bridges' historic character, but that will more than double the cost of the repairs. And the city will have to pay a huge amount of interest on the bonds. That makes this plan a very inefficient way to pay for these urgently needed repairs, so we should oppose it.

Juanita: But the bridges really do need repairs to keep them safe enough to use. Thousands of cars cross the bridges every day, so the city cannot just close all the bridges for safety until it finds funding for the repairs. Despite the bond plan's flaws, we have to support it.

The two speakers disagree on how___ 1 it would be to fund repairs of the bridges with the bond plan but agree on how 2 __it is for repairs to be made.

Blank 1
Blank 2

Possible

Unlikely

Urgent

Prudent

Difficult

Solution

Two-Part Analysis Inference Solution

Phase 1: Owning the Dataset

Argument Analysis Table

Passage StatementAnalysis & Implications
Emily: "This plan to issue bonds...will waste a lot of money"
  • Core Fact: Emily views the bond plan as wasteful
  • Visualization: Money being spent inefficiently
  • Logical Connections: This is her main objection
  • What We Can Conclude: Emily finds the plan financially imprudent
Emily: "preserving the bridges' historic character...will more than double the cost"
  • Core Fact: Historic preservation significantly increases costs
  • Visualization: Cost going from \(\mathrm{X} \text{ to } 2\mathrm{X}+\)
  • Logical Connections: Adds to the wastefulness argument
  • What We Can Conclude: Emily sees this as unnecessary expense
Emily: "city will have to pay a huge amount of interest on the bonds"
  • Core Fact: Bond financing adds interest costs
  • Visualization: Principal + massive interest payments
  • Logical Connections: Another inefficiency in the plan
  • What We Can Conclude: Emily views this as poor financial planning
Emily: "makes this plan a very inefficient way to pay for these urgently needed repairs"
  • Core Fact: Emily acknowledges repairs are urgent but opposes the method
  • Visualization: Urgent need + bad solution
  • Logical Connections: Despite urgency, she opposes
  • What We Can Conclude: Emily agrees repairs are urgent
Emily: "we should oppose it"
  • Core Fact: Emily's conclusion is to oppose
  • Visualization: Vote NO on the bond plan
  • Logical Connections: Inefficiency outweighs urgency
  • What We Can Conclude: Emily thinks it's not prudent to proceed
Juanita: "bridges really do need repairs to keep them safe enough to use"
  • Core Fact: Juanita emphasizes safety necessity
  • Visualization: Unsafe bridges = danger
  • Logical Connections: Safety is paramount concern
  • What We Can Conclude: Juanita agrees repairs are urgent
Juanita: "Thousands of cars cross the bridges every day"
  • Core Fact: Heavy daily usage
  • Visualization: Constant traffic flow
  • Logical Connections: Closure would be disruptive
  • What We Can Conclude: Bridges are essential infrastructure
Juanita: "city cannot just close all the bridges for safety until it finds funding"
  • Core Fact: Closure isn't viable option
  • Visualization: No bridges = traffic chaos
  • Logical Connections: Must act now, can't wait
  • What We Can Conclude: Urgency is heightened by usage
Juanita: "Despite the bond plan's flaws, we have to support it"
  • Core Fact: Juanita acknowledges flaws but supports anyway
  • Visualization: Flawed plan > no plan
  • Logical Connections: Necessity overrides inefficiency
  • What We Can Conclude: Juanita thinks it's prudent given circumstances

Key Patterns Identified

  • Agreement: Both speakers acknowledge repairs are urgently needed
  • Disagreement: They differ on whether the bond plan is the right approach
  • Emily's Position: Inefficiency makes the plan imprudent despite urgency
  • Juanita's Position: Urgency and lack of alternatives make the plan prudent despite flaws

Phase 2: Question Analysis & Prethinking

Understanding Each Part

  • Part 1 Focus: How [adjective] it would be to fund repairs with the bond plan - this is where they DISAGREE
  • Part 2 Focus: How [adjective] it is for repairs to be made - this is where they AGREE
  • Relationship: The question highlights their fundamental agreement on need but disagreement on method

Valid Inferences Generated

  1. For Part 1 (Disagreement):
    • Emily thinks the bond plan is NOT prudent (inefficient, wasteful)
    • Juanita thinks the bond plan IS prudent (necessary given circumstances)
    • They disagree on the PRUDENCE of the bond plan
  1. For Part 2 (Agreement):
    • Emily calls repairs "urgently needed"
    • Juanita emphasizes safety needs and daily usage
    • Both agree repairs are URGENT

Phase 3: Answer Choice Evaluation

Analyzing Each Option:

"Possible"

  • What it claims: Feasibility of the action
  • Fact Support: Both seem to agree it's possible (Emily just opposes it)
  • Part Suitability: Not the core disagreement

"Unlikely"

  • What it claims: Low probability
  • Fact Support: Neither suggests it's unlikely to happen
  • Part Suitability: Doesn't fit either part

"Urgent"

  • What it claims: Immediate necessity
  • Fact Support: Emily says "urgently needed repairs"; Juanita emphasizes safety/usage
  • Part Suitability: Perfect for Part 2 (agreement)

"Prudent"

  • What it claims: Wise/sensible course of action
  • Fact Support: Emily says "inefficient" and "oppose"; Juanita says "have to support"
  • Part Suitability: Perfect for Part 1 (disagreement)

"Difficult"

  • What it claims: Challenging to accomplish
  • Fact Support: Not discussed by either speaker
  • Part Suitability: Doesn't fit

Answer Selection

  1. Part 1: Prudent - They disagree on whether the bond plan is a prudent way to fund repairs
  2. Part 2: Urgent - They agree that repairs are urgently needed

Verification

  • Emily thinks bond plan is NOT prudent (wasteful, inefficient) ✓
  • Juanita thinks bond plan IS prudent (necessary despite flaws) ✓
  • Both agree repairs are urgent (Emily: "urgently needed"; Juanita: safety critical) ✓

The answers work perfectly together to capture their fundamental dynamic: agreement on the urgent need but disagreement on whether this particular solution is prudent.

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