SAT OwlQuestion bank / Cross-Text Connections
Text 1: Many urban planners favor building tall apartment towers to increase housing density. Towers, they argue, house large numbers of people on small plots of land, leaving more space for parks.
Text 2: Architect Henrik Lund points out that cities such as Paris reach some of the highest population densities in Europe with buildings of only six or seven stories, set close together along the street. Such mid-rise neighborhoods, he argues, can house as many people as towers do while keeping residents close to street life.
Based on the texts, how would Lund most likely respond to the planners' argument in Text 1?
By arguing that cities should not set aside land for parks
By suggesting that tall towers are not the only way to achieve high housing density
By agreeing that tall towers are necessary for high density
By claiming that Paris has a low population density
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
The planners present towers as the way to reach high density. Lund points to Paris, where mid-rise buildings achieve very high density. He would argue that towers are not the only option, choice B.
Choice C is the planners' assumption, which Lund's Paris example challenges.
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