Dr. Elena Rodriguez, Michael Chen, and their research team examined how well ancient ceramic artifacts withstand deterioration over time. The...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Dr. Elena Rodriguez, Michael Chen, and their research team examined how well ancient ceramic artifacts withstand deterioration over time. The scientists evaluated the structural stability of eighteen pottery fragments across three distinct types: heavy-walled storage containers, light-walled dining vessels, and intentionally broken ceremonial artifacts with irregular fractures that bore no resemblance to purposeful ceramic designs. Every artifact came from either arid desert locations or moist seaside locations, never from both environmental settings. The researchers determined that variations in ceramic manufacturing methods might influence their capacity to withstand natural environmental deterioration compared to deliberate destruction.
Which research result, if accurate, would most strongly validate the team's determination?
When contrasted with light-walled vessels, heavy-walled vessels demonstrated superior damage resistance under desert or seaside environmental conditions compared to their performance under random fragmentation.
Heavy-walled vessels from arid locations generally exhibited superior preservation compared to heavy-walled vessels from seaside locations when subjected to seaside environmental conditions.
The deterioration patterns displayed by heavy-walled vessels under random fragmentation differed from the patterns exhibited by light-walled vessels under their original environmental settings.
When contrasted with light-walled vessels, heavy-walled vessels demonstrated greater preservation variations under arid conditions compared to their performance under seaside conditions.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Dr. Elena Rodriguez, Michael Chen, and their research team examined how well ancient ceramic artifacts withstand deterioration over time.' |
|
| 'The scientists evaluated the structural stability of eighteen pottery fragments across three distinct types: heavy-walled storage containers, light-walled dining vessels, and intentionally broken ceremonial artifacts with irregular fractures.' |
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| 'Every artifact came from either arid desert locations or moist seaside locations, never from both environmental settings.' |
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| 'The researchers determined that variations in ceramic manufacturing methods might influence their capacity to withstand natural environmental deterioration compared to deliberate destruction.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Researchers found that ceramic manufacturing methods might influence how well pottery withstands natural environmental damage compared to intentional destruction.
Argument Flow: The passage introduces a research team studying ceramic deterioration, describes their methodology examining different pottery types from various environments, and concludes with their key finding about manufacturing methods affecting resistance to natural versus deliberate damage.
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 team's determination is that manufacturing methods might influence how ceramics handle natural environmental deterioration compared to deliberate destruction
- So the right answer should show evidence that different manufacturing methods perform differently when comparing natural conditions to deliberate damage
- The right answer should demonstrate that manufacturing methods create different outcomes when contrasting natural environmental conditions with intentional destruction
When contrasted with light-walled vessels, heavy-walled vessels demonstrated superior damage resistance under desert or seaside environmental conditions compared to their performance under random fragmentation.
✓ Correct
- Shows heavy-walled vessels performed better under natural conditions compared to deliberate destruction
- Directly validates that manufacturing methods influence the natural-vs-deliberate comparison
- Matches our prethinking perfectly by showing manufacturing differences matter for this specific contrast
Heavy-walled vessels from arid locations generally exhibited superior preservation compared to heavy-walled vessels from seaside locations when subjected to seaside environmental conditions.
✗ Incorrect
- Only compares heavy-walled vessels under different natural conditions (arid vs seaside)
- Doesn't address the natural-vs-deliberate destruction comparison that the team focused on
- Trap: Students might think any result about heavy-walled vessels validates the claim, but this misses the key 'compared to deliberate destruction' element
The deterioration patterns displayed by heavy-walled vessels under random fragmentation differed from the patterns exhibited by light-walled vessels under their original environmental settings.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares different manufacturing methods but under different condition types
- Doesn't show the same manufacturing method performing differently under natural vs deliberate conditions
- Fails to validate the specific natural-vs-deliberate comparison the researchers made
When contrasted with light-walled vessels, heavy-walled vessels demonstrated greater preservation variations under arid conditions compared to their performance under seaside conditions.
✗ Incorrect
- Only examines heavy-walled vessels under different natural conditions
- Completely ignores the deliberate destruction aspect of the team's determination
- Similar trap to Choice B - focuses on natural conditions only