As a monthly newsletter formed in 1969 by a group of Asian American students at the University of California, Los...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
As a monthly newsletter formed in 1969 by a group of Asian American students at the University of California, Los Angeles, Gidra helped raise awareness about social and political issues concerning the Asian American community on campus and at large. The newsletter had an expansive reach for a publication of its kind: around 4,000 copies were published each month. A student writing a history paper, however, hypothesizes that Gidra's influence cannot be measured by the number of newsletters published monthly alone.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the student's hypothesis?
The students who initially formed Gidra each contributed financially to its creation.
In addition to covering current events, Gidra also featured works of art and literature.
Gidra was initially based out of the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA.
People would often give their copies of Gidra to others once they had finished reading an issue.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "As a monthly newsletter formed in 1969 by a group of Asian American students at the University of California, Los Angeles, Gidra helped raise awareness about social and political issues concerning the Asian American community on campus and at large." |
|
| "The newsletter had an expansive reach for a publication of its kind: around 4,000 copies were published each month." |
|
| "A student writing a history paper, however, hypothesizes that Gidra's influence cannot be measured by the number of newsletters published monthly alone." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
- Main Point: A student argues that measuring Gidra's influence requires looking beyond its monthly circulation numbers.
- Argument Flow: The passage establishes Gidra as an Asian American newsletter with significant monthly circulation, then introduces a student's hypothesis that circulation numbers alone don't fully capture the publication's actual influence.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? We need to find evidence that would support the student's hypothesis.
What type of answer do we need? A finding that demonstrates Gidra's influence extended beyond what the 4,000 monthly circulation number would suggest.
Any limiting keywords? "most directly support" - we need the strongest, most relevant evidence for the hypothesis.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The student's hypothesis is that influence can't be measured by circulation numbers alone.
- This means we need evidence showing that Gidra's actual impact or reach was greater than what the 4,000 monthly copies would indicate.
- The right answer should demonstrate that each published copy somehow had influence beyond just reaching one reader, or that influence operated through channels other than direct readership of the published copies.
The students who initially formed Gidra each contributed financially to its creation.
- This tells us about the financial foundation of the newsletter.
- It doesn't address whether influence extended beyond the circulation numbers.
- Financial contributions relate to creation, not to measuring influence or reach.
In addition to covering current events, Gidra also featured works of art and literature.
- This describes the content variety within the newsletter.
- While diverse content might make it more influential, this doesn't show that influence exceeded what circulation numbers indicate.
Gidra was initially based out of the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA.
- This provides information about Gidra's institutional location.
- The location doesn't demonstrate influence beyond circulation numbers.
People would often give their copies of Gidra to others once they had finished reading an issue.
- This shows that each published copy reached multiple readers through sharing.
- It directly demonstrates influence beyond the 4,000 circulation number since each copy influenced more than one person.
- This perfectly supports the hypothesis that circulation numbers alone underestimate influence.