Dr. Sarah Chen's groundbreaking paper on T-cell activation, published in March 2018, established her as a leading researcher in immunology....
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Dr. Sarah Chen's groundbreaking paper on T-cell activation, published in March 2018, established her as a leading researcher in immunology. The research drew heavily on work Chen had completed months before - ______ in September 2017, she had made a crucial discovery about protein interactions that would become fundamental to her later published findings.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Therefore,
Nevertheless,
Previously,
Meanwhile,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Dr. Sarah Chen's groundbreaking paper on T-cell activation, published in March 2018, established her as a leading researcher in immunology." |
|
| "The research drew heavily on work Chen had completed months before" |
|
| "[MISSING TRANSITION]" |
|
| "in September 2017, she had made a crucial discovery about protein interactions that would become fundamental to her later published findings." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Chen's 2018 breakthrough in immunology research was built on crucial discoveries she had made months earlier.
Argument Flow: We start with Chen's major 2018 achievement, learn that it was based on earlier work, then get the specific details about that foundational work from September 2017. The passage moves backward in time to explain the foundation of her success.
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 indicate that we're going back in time to provide a specific example of the "months before" work that was just mentioned
Therefore,
- "Therefore" indicates a conclusion or result flowing from what came before
- But September 2017 isn't a result of March 2018 - it's the opposite chronologically
Nevertheless,
- "Nevertheless" signals contrast or opposition
- There's no contrast here - the September 2017 discovery supports the March 2018 success
Previously,
- "Previously" perfectly indicates that we're going back in time
- It logically connects the general statement about "months before" with the specific September 2017 example
Meanwhile,
- "Meanwhile" suggests things happening at the same time
- But September 2017 and March 2018 are clearly different time periods