Dr. Elena Rodriguez had achieved what many considered the pinnacle of biochemical research: a tenured position at Harvard Medical School....
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Dr. Elena Rodriguez had achieved what many considered the pinnacle of biochemical research: a tenured position at Harvard Medical School. Her groundbreaking work on protein folding had earned international recognition, substantial funding, and collaboration offers from the world's leading laboratories. _____ Rodriguez felt drawn to abandon her established research program and pursue environmental toxicology, a field where she believed her work could address urgent public health challenges.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Nevertheless,
Moreover,
Indeed,
Consequently,
Looking at this SAT Transitions question, let me work through the systematic solution process.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Dr. Elena Rodriguez had achieved what many considered the pinnacle of biochemical research: a tenured position at Harvard Medical School." |
|
| "Her groundbreaking work on protein folding had earned international recognition, substantial funding, and collaboration offers from the world's leading laboratories." |
|
| [MISSING TRANSITION] |
|
| "Rodriguez felt drawn to abandon her established research program and pursue environmental toxicology, a field where she believed her work could address urgent public health challenges." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite achieving remarkable success in biochemical research, Dr. Rodriguez feels compelled to switch to environmental toxicology to address public health challenges.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Rodriguez's impressive achievements in biochemistry, then reveals her surprising desire to abandon this successful path in favor of environmental toxicology work that could have greater public health impact.
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 transition must show the relationship between Rodriguez's success and her desire to switch fields
- We need a connector that signals contrast or contradiction—her success in one field versus wanting to leave it
- The word should indicate that despite her achievements, she still wants to change directions
- The right answer should signal a contrast that shows Rodriguez's desire to switch fields goes against what we'd expect given her success
Nevertheless,
✓ Correct
- Correct: Creates the right contrast between her success and desire to switch
- Shows that despite her achievements, she still wants to change fields
- Matches our prethinking perfectly
Moreover,
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect: Signals addition or continuation, not contrast
- Would suggest her desire to switch adds to her success rather than contrasting with it
- What trap this represents: Students might think this connects two related ideas about Rodriguez's career, missing that the ideas actually oppose each other
Indeed,
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect: Indicates confirmation or emphasis of the previous point
- Would suggest her switch confirms her success rather than contrasts with it
- Creates illogical flow between the sentences
Consequently,
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect: Shows cause-and-effect relationship
- Would suggest her success caused her desire to switch, which isn't supported
- What trap this represents: Students might think her success naturally led to wanting new challenges, but the passage doesn't establish this causal connection