The following text is adapted from a student research journal about medieval history. Dr. Martinez had recommended several primary sources...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The following text is adapted from a student research journal about medieval history.
Dr. Martinez had recommended several primary sources for my paper on medieval guild systems, but I struggled to understand how craftsmen actually organized their workshops in the 13th century. The textbooks provided only general overviews, and the lecture notes covered broad economic theories rather than specific organizational details. I decided to examine the guild records housed in the university's special collections, hoping these original documents would reveal the practical aspects of medieval workshop management that remained unclear to me.
According to the text, why does the student decide to examine guild records in special collections?
She hopes the original documents will clarify specific organizational details she doesn't understand.
She wants to compare different economic theories mentioned in her lecture notes.
She needs to verify the accuracy of information provided in her textbooks.
She plans to use the documents to support Dr. Martinez's recommended approach.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Dr. Martinez had recommended several primary sources for my paper on medieval guild systems," |
|
| "but I struggled to understand how craftsmen actually organized their workshops in the 13th century." |
|
| "The textbooks provided only general overviews," |
|
| "and the lecture notes covered broad economic theories rather than specific organizational details." |
|
| "I decided to examine the guild records housed in the university's special collections," |
|
| "hoping these original documents would reveal the practical aspects of medieval workshop management that remained unclear to me." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A student turns to primary source documents because secondary sources failed to provide the specific organizational details she needed for her research.
Argument Flow: The passage follows a problem-solution structure. It establishes the research context, identifies a specific knowledge gap that existing resources could not fill, and explains the student decision to turn to primary sources as a solution.
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 passage clearly states the student motivation in the final part - she hopes the original documents will reveal practical aspects that remained unclear
- The key elements are: She needs specific organizational details, her current resources were not providing these details, and she hopes the guild records will fill this specific gap
She hopes the original documents will clarify specific organizational details she doesn't understand.
- Matches exactly what the passage states in the final sentence
- Captures both elements: original documents and specific organizational details
- Aligns perfectly with our prethinking about her motivation
She wants to compare different economic theories mentioned in her lecture notes.
- The passage mentions lecture notes covered economic theories, but she is not trying to compare theories
- She wants practical details, not theoretical comparisons
She needs to verify the accuracy of information provided in her textbooks.
- Nothing in the passage suggests she doubts the accuracy of her textbooks
- Her problem is that textbooks are too general, not inaccurate
She plans to use the documents to support Dr. Martinez's recommended approach.
- The passage does not indicate she is trying to support Dr. Martinez approach
- Her decision seems independent - she is solving her own research problem