While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Archaeological sites can provide evidence of how ancient civilizations ended.In...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Archaeological sites can provide evidence of how ancient civilizations ended.
- In a 2021 study, researchers investigated the abandoned Mayan city of Tikal in Guatemala.
- Excavations revealed that around 900 CE, the city's population began declining rapidly.
- At that time, evidence suggests severe drought conditions persisted for decades.
- The prolonged drought would have made agriculture unsustainable in the region.
- Researchers concluded that environmental stress caused Tikal's abandonment.
The student wants to recount the sequence of events that led to Tikal's abandonment. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Around 900 CE, severe drought conditions made agriculture unsustainable at Tikal, causing the population to decline rapidly and ultimately abandon the city.
Researchers investigated the abandoned Mayan city of Tikal and concluded that environmental stress caused the city's abandonment.
Archaeological sites like Tikal can provide evidence of how drought conditions affect ancient civilizations.
According to excavations, two events occurred around 900 CE: first, Tikal's population declined rapidly, and second, severe drought made the city uninhabitable.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Archaeological sites can provide evidence of how ancient civilizations ended." |
|
| "In a 2021 study, researchers investigated the abandoned Mayan city of Tikal in Guatemala." |
|
| "Excavations revealed that around 900 CE, the city's population began declining rapidly." |
|
| "At that time, evidence suggests severe drought conditions persisted for decades." |
|
| "The prolonged drought would have made agriculture unsustainable in the region." |
|
| "Researchers concluded that environmental stress caused Tikal's abandonment." |
|
Passage Architecture
Main Point: Archaeological evidence from Tikal shows that prolonged drought around 900 CE made agriculture impossible, leading to rapid population decline and eventual abandonment.
Argument Flow: General context about archaeological sites revealing civilization endings, then specific 2021 Tikal study showing population decline around 900 CE during severe drought that made agriculture unsustainable, leading researchers to conclude environmental stress caused abandonment.
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
- Correct sequence should be:
- Severe drought conditions occurred around 900 CE
- Drought made agriculture unsustainable
- Population declined rapidly without sustainable agriculture
- City was ultimately abandoned
- Right answer needs chronological order with clear cause-and-effect relationships.
Around 900 CE, severe drought conditions made agriculture unsustainable at Tikal, causing the population to decline rapidly and ultimately abandon the city.
✓ Correct
- Perfect chronological sequence: drought to agricultural problems to population decline to abandonment
- Uses exact timeframe (around 900 CE)
- Shows clear causation
- Matches logical cause-and-effect chain
Researchers investigated the abandoned Mayan city of Tikal and concluded that environmental stress caused the city's abandonment.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on research process, not event sequence
- Doesn't provide chronological narrative
- About research methodology rather than historical sequence
Archaeological sites like Tikal can provide evidence of how drought conditions affect ancient civilizations.
✗ Incorrect
- General statement about archaeological sites
- Doesn't recount specific Tikal sequence
- About archaeological methodology, not historical narrative
According to excavations, two events occurred around 900 CE: first, Tikal's population declined rapidly, and second, severe drought made the city uninhabitable.
✗ Incorrect
- Gets sequence backward - suggests population decline then drought
- Notes indicate drought and decline occurred simultaneously with drought as cause
- Confuses order of discovery with chronological sequence of events