Archaeologists have been debating the origin of a rare form of lead found in Shang dynasty (1766–1046 BCE) bronze artifacts...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Archaeologists have been debating the origin of a rare form of lead found in Shang dynasty (1766–1046 BCE) bronze artifacts since its presence was discovered in China in the 1990s. Different researchers have proposed theories on which regions of the world would have had the raw materials containing the specific lead in these artifacts, but no conclusive evidence has been presented. What is intriguing is that bronze artifacts from China dated after the Shang dynasty do not contain this form of lead, suggesting that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Archaeologists have been debating the origin of a rare form of lead found in Shang dynasty (1766–1046 BCE) bronze artifacts since its presence was discovered in China in the 1990s." |
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| "Different researchers have proposed theories on which regions of the world would have had the raw materials containing the specific lead in these artifacts, but no conclusive evidence has been presented." |
|
| "What is intriguing is that bronze artifacts from China dated after the Shang dynasty do not contain this form of lead," |
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| "suggesting that ______" |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The absence of rare lead in post-Shang Chinese bronze artifacts provides a crucial clue about the source or availability of the raw materials used during the Shang dynasty.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes an ongoing archaeological mystery about rare lead in Shang bronze, notes that researchers have theories but no proof, then presents the key evidence that later Chinese artifacts lack this lead, leading to a logical conclusion about what this pattern suggests.
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 pattern is clear: rare lead shows up in Shang dynasty bronze but disappears from later Chinese bronze
- This suggests something changed after the Shang dynasty ended
- The most logical explanation would be that whatever was providing this rare lead was no longer available or accessible after the Shang period
- The right answer should explain why this specific lead appears in Shang artifacts but not in later ones - pointing to the source being used only during the Shang period
- This focuses on rarity and value of Shang pieces
- Doesn't explain why later artifacts lack the rare lead
- The passage isn't about artifact value - it's about the source of materials
- Explains that the raw material source was only exploited until the Shang dynasty ended
- Perfectly matches our prethinking - if the source was only used during Shang period, later artifacts wouldn't have this lead
- Directly explains the pattern: lead present in Shang artifacts, absent in later ones
- Claims bronze was used only briefly during Shang dynasty
- Contradicts the passage - we know bronze artifacts exist after Shang dynasty (they just lack the rare lead)
- Misses the point about the specific lead, not bronze in general
- Suggests analytical methods don't work on post-Shang artifacts
- Doesn't explain why the rare lead is missing - just says we can't detect it
- The passage clearly states post-Shang artifacts "do not contain" the lead, not that we can't analyze them