The importance of having connected city streets
In the midst of the 2020 pandemic, many cities rediscovered the value of walkable and bike-friendly streets. They converted bus lanes into bike lanes in (1)___________ to the drop in the number of people taking public transport. Traffic cones, paint and signs were all that was required to repurpose street space in the short term. In the long term, however, the layout of a city’s street network is a permanent (2)___________ New bike lanes and pedestrian space can have little impact where a city’s layout is not up to the (3)___________ of providing connectivity.
In a disconnected, sprawling network (4)___________ by dead ends, cul-de-sacs and gated housing estates, a grocery store that lies only a hundred metres away when measured in a straight line, might be more than a kilometre by road. In contrast, streets arranged in a grid provide direct routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Street-network connectivity matters because it puts destinations within easy (5)___________ , and while this may matter very little to drivers, it definitely matters to those cycling or on foot.
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Correct Answer: C
Why this is correct: response is correct because 'in response to' is a fixed phrase meaning 'reacting to'. Cities changed the lanes in response to fewer people using public transport.
Tips: Memory trick: when you react to something, you respond. 'In response to' is your go-to phrase for reacting.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: return gives 'in return', which means 'as payment or exchange back'. That is a different idea from reacting to a drop in numbers.
- B: answer gives 'in answer to', which is used for questions, not for reacting to a change in transport use.
Key Vocabulary:
- in response to = reacting to
- in return = as an exchange back
Correct Answer: A
Why this is correct: constraint means 'a limit that holds you back'. 'A permanent constraint' fits, because a city's fixed layout limits what new lanes can do.
Tips: Memory trick: con-STRAIN-t - think of a strap that strains and holds you back. A constraint keeps you within limits.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: confinement means 'being shut inside a small space', like a prison. This is a Thematic Trap - it is about limits too, but it means being locked in.
- C: repression means 'holding down feelings or people by force'. That is the wrong context for a street layout.
Key Vocabulary:
- constraint = a limit that holds you back
- confinement = being shut in a small space
Correct Answer: C
Why this is correct: task is correct because 'up to the task' is a set phrase meaning 'able to do the job'. If a layout is not up to the task, it cannot do the job of connecting places.
Tips: Memory trick: 'Are you up to the task?' means 'can you handle the job?'. Learn 'up to the task' as one chunk.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: effort does not fit - 'up to the effort' is not a standard phrase. This is a Structural Trap set by the fixed expression 'up to the task'.
- B: function means 'a role or purpose', but 'up to the function' is not natural English. This is a Structural Trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- up to the task = able to do the job
- fixed phrase = words that always stay together
Correct Answer: C
Why this is correct: characterised is correct because 'characterised by' means 'having as its main feature'. The network is marked by dead ends and cul-de-sacs, so those are its main features.
Tips: Memory trick: a character's main trait defines them. 'Characterised by' points to the main feature of something.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: illustrated means 'shown with pictures or examples'. This is a Thematic Trap - you illustrate an idea, but you do not describe a network's nature with it.
- A: featured does not pair with 'by' - you would say 'featuring'. This is a Structural Trap because the pattern is wrong.
Key Vocabulary:
- characterised by = having as its main feature
- feature (use 'featuring', not 'featured by')
Correct Answer: B
Why this is correct: reach is correct because 'within easy reach' is a fixed phrase meaning 'close enough to get to easily'. It fits the idea of destinations being nearby for walkers and cyclists.
Tips: Memory trick: stretch out your arm - if you can touch it, it is within reach. 'Within easy reach' means close by.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: touch does not fit - the phrase is 'within reach', not 'within easy touch'. This is a Structural Trap set by the fixed expression.
- C: stretch does not collocate here - 'within stretch' is not standard English, so the phrase breaks.
Key Vocabulary:
- within easy reach = close enough to get to easily
- reach = how far you can get to
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