While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: A wok is a cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). The wok's round, wide base helps to cook food evenly. The wok's high, angled sides help to contain oil splatters. Grace Young is a cook and culinary historian. Her book The Breath of a Wok (2004) traces the history of the wok.

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:A wok is a cooking pan that originated in China...

GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions

Source: Official

Expression of Ideas

Rhetorical Synthesis

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Notes

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While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

A wok is a cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE).
The wok's round, wide base helps to cook food evenly.
The wok's high, angled sides help to contain oil splatters.
Grace Young is a cook and culinary historian.
Her book The Breath of a Wok (2004) traces the history of the wok.

The student wants to describe the wok's shape. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Grace Young's 2004 book, The Breath of a Wok, traces the history of the cooking pan.

Able to cook food evenly and contain oil splatters, the wok is the subject of Grace Young's 2004 book.

A wok is a cooking pan with a round, wide base and high, angled sides.

The design of a wok, a type of cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty, helps the pan cook food evenly and contain oil splatters.

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table

Text from Passage	Analysis
A wok is a cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE).	What it says: Wok = cooking pan, China origin, Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) What it does: Introduces the wok and provides historical context What it is: Background information
The wok's round, wide base helps to cook food evenly.	What it says: Round, wide base → even cooking What it does: Describes a specific shape feature and its function What it is: Shape description + function
The wok's high, angled sides help to contain oil splatters.	What it says: High, angled sides → contain oil splatters What it does: Describes another shape feature and its function What it is: Shape description + function
Grace Young is a cook and culinary historian.	What it says: Grace Young = cook + culinary historian What it does: Introduces a person and their credentials What it is: Background information
Her book The Breath of a Wok (2004) traces the history of the wok.	What it says: Young's book (2004) = wok history What it does: Provides information about Young's published work What it is: Additional context

Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements

Main Point: The notes provide basic information about woks, including their shape, functions, and historical context, along with a reference to an expert source.

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.

Step 3: Prethink the Answer

Looking at our notes, the shape information comes from two specific points: the wok has a round, wide base and high, angled sides
The correct answer should directly describe these physical characteristics of the wok
It should avoid getting sidetracked by the wok's functions, its history, or information about Grace Young's book
The goal is purely descriptive - what does a wok look like?

Answer Choices Explained

Grace Young's 2004 book, The Breath of a Wok, traces the history of the cooking pan.

✗ Incorrect

Focuses entirely on Grace Young's book and wok history
Contains no information about the wok's shape
Completely misses the student's goal of describing physical form

Able to cook food evenly and contain oil splatters, the wok is the subject of Grace Young's 2004 book.

✗ Incorrect

Mentions the wok's functions but not its shape
Also references Grace Young's book, which isn't relevant to describing shape

A wok is a cooking pan with a round, wide base and high, angled sides.

✓ Correct

Directly describes the wok's physical shape using the relevant shape information from the notes
Stays focused on the student's specific goal without irrelevant details

The design of a wok, a type of cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty, helps the pan cook food evenly and contain oil splatters.

✗ Incorrect

Mentions design and functions but doesn't actually describe the shape
Includes historical information which isn't about shape

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