Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumMain Idea and Central Theme Identification

Read the passage given below carefully and answer the question that follows:

The rapid expansion of secondary cities in developing economies has led to an exponential surge in municipal solid waste, straining traditional public administrative capacity. Historically, municipal policies have favored centralized, capital-intensive disposal mechanisms, notably sanitary landfills and incineration facilities. However, these top-down interventions frequently fail to deliver long-term sustainability due to high operational costs and a failure to integrate pre-existing informal waste-picker networks. Recent administrative discourse champions decentralized, community-driven circular economy models that establish localized sorting hubs and formalize informal labor. While proponents highlight that participatory recycling frameworks reduce municipal budgetary burdens and lower urban greenhouse gas emissions, policy analysts emphasize that without standardized regulatory oversight and guaranteed floor prices for recovered materials, decentralized operations remain highly susceptible to market volatility. Consequently, achieving resilient urban waste governance depends not merely on constructing modern infrastructure or relying solely on grassroots initiatives, but on synthesizing formal state regulation with decentralized market incentives.

Which of the following statements best captures the central theme of the passage?

  1. Achieving sustainable urban waste governance requires a hybrid administrative framework that integrates formal municipal regulation with decentralized market-driven and community mechanisms.Answer
  2. B
    Capital-intensive interventions such as incineration facilities and sanitary landfills fail in developing economies solely due to high municipal operational costs.
  3. C
    Decentralized circular economy models provide an absolute solution to urban waste management, rendering formal municipal administration entirely obsolete.
  4. D
    Adopting advanced automated waste-sorting technology is the most effective administrative strategy to eliminate informal labor in modern cities.

Answer

Sustainable urban waste governance depends on a hybrid administrative approach combining formal state regulation with decentralized, community-based market mechanisms.
The passage evaluates both centralized traditional mechanisms and decentralized circular models, concluding in its final sentence that effective urban waste governance requires synthesizing formal state oversight with decentralized, community-driven incentives. The option expressing the necessity of a hybrid administrative framework accurately summarizes this primary argument.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the passage structure and paragraph progression.
The text identifies the failure of top-down centralized waste management, reviews the merits and vulnerabilities of decentralized circular economy models, and concludes with a definitive thesis statement.
Tracking argument progression isolates the author's primary thesis from supporting details.
2
Identify the main concluding assertion of the author.
The final sentence explicitly states that long-term success 'depends not merely on constructing modern infrastructure or relying solely on grassroots initiatives, but on synthesizing formal state regulation with decentralized market incentives.'
The central theme reflects the comprehensive argument that unifies the limitations and benefits discussed throughout the text.
3
Evaluate option choices against the identified thesis.
The statement advocating a hybrid administrative framework combining formal regulation with decentralized mechanisms directly matches the author's central claim.
The correct option must encompass the main idea without narrowing down to secondary details or taking unsupported extreme views.

Key Concept

Identifying the Central Theme and Underlying Thesis of a Passage
Rate this question

Topics

Main Idea and Central Theme Identification

More questions from this topic