The following text is from an archaeologist's excavation report on artifacts discovered at a 12th-century monastery:"Our team unearthed a remarkable...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from an archaeologist's excavation report on artifacts discovered at a 12th-century monastery:
"Our team unearthed a remarkable collection of illuminated manuscript pages, each decorated with gold leaf and intricate Celtic knotwork borders. The parchments were discovered within a sealed lead container alongside precious stones and silver chalices, all showing remarkably little deterioration despite centuries underground. The manuscripts contain Latin prayers written in an ornate script, with margins featuring detailed illustrations of local flora and fauna. Were these sacred texts created for special ceremonial occasions within the monastic community? Or do they represent the personal devotional collection of a high-ranking church official?"
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
The archaeologist presents excavation findings, then analyzes their impact on understanding medieval economics.
The archaeologist describes preservation methods, then questions the effectiveness of ancient storage techniques.
The archaeologist catalogs discovered artifacts, then speculates about their cultural and religious significance.
The archaeologist documents site conditions, then evaluates the accuracy of her dating methods.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Our team unearthed a remarkable collection of illuminated manuscript pages, each decorated with gold leaf and intricate Celtic knotwork borders." |
|
| "The parchments were discovered within a sealed lead container alongside precious stones and silver chalices, all showing remarkably little deterioration despite centuries underground." |
|
| "The manuscripts contain Latin prayers written in an ornate script, with margins featuring detailed illustrations of local flora and fauna." |
|
| "Were these sacred texts created for special ceremonial occasions within the monastic community? Or do they represent the personal devotional collection of a high-ranking church official?" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: An archaeologist describes the remarkable discovery of well-preserved illuminated manuscripts and then questions their original purpose within the medieval religious community.
Argument Flow: The text moves from concrete to abstract—first cataloging the physical discoveries and their excellent preservation, then describing their specific contents and artistic features, and finally shifting to speculation about their cultural and religious significance within the monastic community.
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
- The right answer should capture that the archaeologist starts by describing what they found—the physical artifacts and their condition—then shifts to questioning or wondering about the deeper meaning and significance of these discoveries in their religious/cultural context.
The archaeologist presents excavation findings, then analyzes their impact on understanding medieval economics.
- Claims the text analyzes impact on "medieval economics" but the passage never discusses economics, trade, or financial matters—it focuses entirely on religious and cultural significance.
The archaeologist describes preservation methods, then questions the effectiveness of ancient storage techniques.
- Says the archaeologist describes "preservation methods" and questions "storage techniques" but while preservation is mentioned, the archaeologist doesn't describe methods or question techniques.
The archaeologist catalogs discovered artifacts, then speculates about their cultural and religious significance.
- Perfectly captures the two-part structure: first cataloging the artifacts then speculating about their cultural and religious significance.
- This matches our prethinking about moving from concrete description to deeper speculation.
The archaeologist documents site conditions, then evaluates the accuracy of her dating methods.
- Claims the text evaluates "dating methods" but the archaeologist never discusses how they determined dates or questions their dating accuracy.