Annual Rainfall Measurements (inches), Regional Weather Stations 2023 Station Alpha recorded 34.2 inches of precipitation, Station Beta measured 41.8...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Annual Rainfall Measurements (inches), Regional Weather Stations 2023
Station Alpha recorded 34.2 inches of precipitation, Station Beta measured 41.8 inches, Station Gamma collected 38.6 inches of data, and Station Delta registered 29.7 inches. The weather station that recorded the greatest annual precipitation was ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the passage to complete the statement?
Station Alpha
Station Delta
Station Beta
Station Gamma
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Annual Rainfall Measurements (inches), Regional Weather Stations 2023" |
|
| "Station Alpha recorded 34.2 inches of precipitation" |
|
| "Station Beta measured 41.8 inches" |
|
| "Station Gamma collected 38.6 inches of data" |
|
| "Station Delta registered 29.7 inches" |
|
| "The weather station that recorded the greatest annual precipitation was ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: This passage presents rainfall data from four weather stations in 2023 and asks us to identify which recorded the most precipitation.
Argument Flow: The passage provides a straightforward data set with four numerical values, then asks us to make a direct comparison to find the maximum value among them.
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 data comparison:
- Alpha: 34.2 inches
- Beta: 41.8 inches
- Gamma: 38.6 inches
- Delta: 29.7 inches
- The correct answer must identify the station with the numerically highest precipitation value. Beta clearly has the highest measurement at 41.8 inches.
Station Alpha
✗ Incorrect
- Alpha recorded \(34.2\) inches, which is not the highest value in our dataset.
Station Delta
✗ Incorrect
- Delta recorded \(29.7\) inches, which is actually the lowest value, not the highest.
Station Beta
✓ Correct
- Beta recorded \(41.8\) inches, which is clearly the highest value among all four stations.
Station Gamma
✗ Incorrect
- Gamma recorded \(38.6\) inches, which while higher than Alpha and Delta, is still less than Beta's \(41.8\) inches.