While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Dr. James Wu is an archaeologist.He specializes in ancient urban...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Dr. James Wu is an archaeologist.
- He specializes in ancient urban settlement analysis.
- An excavation is the systematic recovery of archaeological materials from the ground.
- Wu completed an excavation of a Roman villa site using traditional hand tools in 2017.
- He completed an excavation of a medieval marketplace using ground-penetrating radar in 2020.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between the two excavations. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Dr. Wu has completed multiple archaeological excavations, including both Roman villa sites and medieval marketplace locations.
Wu's excavations demonstrate contrasting approaches: his 2017 Roman site utilized traditional hand tools, whereas his 2020 medieval project employed ground-penetrating radar technology.
Both excavations by Wu focused on ancient urban settlements and were completed during the late 2010s.
Roman villas were residential structures, while medieval marketplaces served as commercial centers.
I'll solve this step-by-step, following the systematic approach for Rhetorical Synthesis questions.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Dr. James Wu is an archaeologist.' |
|
| 'He specializes in ancient urban settlement analysis.' |
|
| 'An excavation is the systematic recovery of archaeological materials from the ground.' |
|
| 'Wu completed an excavation of a Roman villa site using traditional hand tools in 2017.' |
|
| 'He completed an excavation of a medieval marketplace using ground-penetrating radar in 2020.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Wu is an archaeologist who has completed excavations using different methodological approaches.
Argument Flow: The notes establish Wu's credentials and specialty, define excavation, then present two specific excavation projects that differ in time period, site type, and methodology.
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 right answer should highlight specific contrasts between the two excavations
- Use information directly from the notes provided
- Focus on differences rather than similarities
- The most striking contrasts are different methodological approaches (hand tools vs radar technology)
- Different time periods studied (Roman vs medieval)
- Different site types (villa vs marketplace)
- Different years (2017 vs 2020)
Dr. Wu has completed multiple archaeological excavations, including both Roman villa sites and medieval marketplace locations.
✗ Incorrect
- Simply states Wu completed multiple excavations with different site types
- Doesn't emphasize differences - just lists that he did different projects
Wu's excavations demonstrate contrasting approaches: his 2017 Roman site utilized traditional hand tools, whereas his 2020 medieval project employed ground-penetrating radar technology.
✓ Correct
- Directly contrasts the methodological approaches: traditional hand tools vs ground-penetrating radar technology
- Uses specific information from the notes and the word 'contrasting' explicitly signals difference
- Perfectly matches the student's goal
Both excavations by Wu focused on ancient urban settlements and were completed during the late 2010s.
✗ Incorrect
- Emphasizes similarities rather than differences
- Directly contradicts the goal of emphasizing difference
Roman villas were residential structures, while medieval marketplaces served as commercial centers.
✗ Incorrect
- Discusses differences but uses information not provided in the research notes about residential vs commercial purposes