While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Cities tend to have a wide range of flowering vegetation...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Cities tend to have a wide range of flowering vegetation in parks, yards, and gardens.
- This vegetation provides a varied diet for honeybees, strengthening bees' immune systems.
- On average, \(62.5\) percent of bees in an urban area will survive a harsh winter.
- Rural areas are often dominated by monoculture crops such as corn or wheat.
- On average, only \(40\) percent of honeybees in a rural area will survive a harsh winter.
The student wants to make and support a generalization about honeybees. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Cities tend to have a wider range of flowering vegetation than do rural areas, which are often dominated by monoculture crops.
In urban areas, over 60 percent of honeybees, on average, will survive a harsh winter, whereas in rural areas, only 40 percent will.
The strength of honeybees' immune systems depends on what the bees eat, and a varied diet is more available to bees in an urban area than to those in a rural area.
Honeybees are more likely to thrive in cities than in rural areas because the varied diet available in urban areas strengthens the bees' immune systems.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Cities tend to have a wide range of flowering vegetation in parks, yards, and gardens.' |
|
| 'This vegetation provides a varied diet for honeybees, strengthening bees' immune systems.' |
|
| 'On average, 62.5 percent of bees in an urban area will survive a harsh winter.' |
|
| 'Rural areas are often dominated by monoculture crops such as corn or wheat.' |
|
| 'On average, only 40 percent of honeybees in a rural area will survive a harsh winter.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Urban environments provide better conditions for honeybee survival than rural environments due to dietary variety.
Argument Flow: The notes establish a comparison between urban and rural environments for honeybees. They first describe how cities offer varied vegetation that provides diverse diets and strengthens bee immunity, supported by higher survival rates. They then contrast this with rural monoculture environments that correlate with lower bee survival rates.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? We need to choose which option most effectively uses the research notes to make and support a generalization about honeybees.
What type of answer do we need? A broad, general statement about honeybees that is well-supported by the evidence in the notes.
Any limiting keywords? 'generalization' is key - we need a broad statement, not just specific facts. 'Most effectively uses relevant information' means we need to use the evidence well to support the generalization.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The research notes show a clear pattern: urban bees have better survival rates than rural bees, and there's an explanation for why - urban areas provide varied vegetation that gives bees diverse diets and stronger immune systems, while rural areas have monoculture crops
- A good generalization should:
- Make a broad statement about honeybees (not just about environments)
- Connect the environmental differences to bee outcomes
- Use the causal chain provided: varied vegetation → varied diet → stronger immunity → better survival
Cities tend to have a wider range of flowering vegetation than do rural areas, which are often dominated by monoculture crops.
✗ Incorrect
- This describes environmental differences but makes no generalization about honeybees themselves
- It's just restating facts about vegetation without connecting them to bee outcomes
In urban areas, over 60 percent of honeybees, on average, will survive a harsh winter, whereas in rural areas, only 40 percent will.
✗ Incorrect
- This presents the survival statistics but offers no explanation for why the difference exists
- It's descriptive rather than making a supported generalization
The strength of honeybees' immune systems depends on what the bees eat, and a varied diet is more available to bees in an urban area than to those in a rural area.
✗ Incorrect
- This makes connections between diet and immune systems but stops short of the complete generalization
- It doesn't mention the survival outcomes or make the full claim about where bees thrive better
Honeybees are more likely to thrive in cities than in rural areas because the varied diet available in urban areas strengthens the bees' immune systems.
✓ Correct
- Makes a clear generalization: 'Honeybees are more likely to thrive in cities than in rural areas' and provides the causal explanation using the research: 'because the varied diet available in urban areas strengthens the bees' immune systems'
- This uses the complete logical chain from the notes and directly answers what the question asks for