Text 1Archaeologist Sarah Kim's 2020 study proposed that the elaborate bronze ceremonial vessels found at the Shang dynasty site were...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Archaeologist Sarah Kim's 2020 study proposed that the elaborate bronze ceremonial vessels found at the Shang dynasty site were primarily used for ancestor worship rituals. Kim based this conclusion on the vessels' intricate designs depicting family lineages and their discovery within what appeared to be ancestral shrine areas of the excavated palace complex.
Text 2
However, researcher James Liu argues that these bronze vessels served a more practical governmental function-specifically, they were used in administrative ceremonies to demonstrate political authority. Liu notes that similar vessels have been found in administrative buildings at other Shang sites, and more importantly, many contain inscriptions related to official appointments and territorial grants. The prevalence of political inscriptions, Liu maintains, suggests these objects were tools of statecraft rather than religious practice.
Based on the texts, how would Liu most likely respond to Kim's interpretation, as presented in Text 1?
By praising her identification of the family lineage designs on the ceremonial vessels
By questioning whether the shrine areas were actually part of the original palace structure
By arguing that it fails to consider the administrative inscriptions found on many similar vessels
By supporting her conclusion about the religious significance of the bronze vessel locations
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Archaeologist Sarah Kim's 2020 study proposed that the elaborate bronze ceremonial vessels found at the Shang dynasty site were primarily used for ancestor worship rituals.' |
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| 'Kim based this conclusion on the vessels' intricate designs depicting family lineages and their discovery within what appeared to be ancestral shrine areas of the excavated palace complex.' |
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| 'However, researcher James Liu argues that these bronze vessels served a more practical governmental function—specifically, they were used in administrative ceremonies to demonstrate political authority.' |
|
| 'Liu notes that similar vessels have been found in administrative buildings at other Shang sites, and more importantly, many contain inscriptions related to official appointments and territorial grants.' |
|
| 'The prevalence of political inscriptions, Liu maintains, suggests these objects were tools of statecraft rather than religious practice.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Two archaeologists disagree about whether Shang dynasty bronze vessels were used for religious ancestor worship (Kim) or governmental political ceremonies (Liu).
Argument Flow: Kim presents her theory that the vessels served religious purposes based on their decorative elements and discovery locations. Liu directly challenges this by arguing the vessels had governmental functions, supporting his view with evidence about their locations in administrative buildings and their political inscriptions.
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
- Based on our analysis, Liu would most likely respond by pointing out what Kim's interpretation failed to consider
- From the passage, we know Liu's main evidence centers on administrative building locations and political inscriptions about appointments and territorial grants
- Kim focused on family lineage designs and shrine areas, but she apparently didn't account for the administrative inscriptions that Liu found so significant
- Liu would likely argue that Kim's interpretation is incomplete because it doesn't address this crucial political evidence
By praising her identification of the family lineage designs on the ceremonial vessels
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests Liu would praise Kim's work on family lineage designs, but Liu disagrees fundamentally with Kim's religious interpretation
By questioning whether the shrine areas were actually part of the original palace structure
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses on questioning the structural details of the shrine areas, but Liu's actual argument doesn't challenge the physical locations Kim identified
By arguing that it fails to consider the administrative inscriptions found on many similar vessels
✓ Correct
- This captures exactly what Liu would argue: Kim failed to consider the administrative inscriptions
- Matches Liu's emphasis on inscriptions about official appointments and territorial grants
By supporting her conclusion about the religious significance of the bronze vessel locations
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests Liu would support Kim's conclusion about religious significance, but Liu explicitly argues these were tools of statecraft rather than religious practice