During the early years of the Royal Society of London (founded 1660), membership required demonstrating significant contributions to natural philosoph...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
During the early years of the Royal Society of London (founded 1660), membership required demonstrating significant contributions to natural philosophy through published research, experimental work, or mathematical discoveries. The society's records show that the primary pathway to fellowship involved presenting original research papers, which required substantial financial resources for equipment, materials, and leisure time to conduct investigations. Most applicants also needed access to expensive books, instruments, and laboratory spaces. (Wealthy patrons occasionally sponsored promising but impoverished scholars, though such arrangements were uncommon.) While relatively few scholars could meet these research publication requirements, those who did generated the majority of the period's scientific advances and discoveries, suggesting that during the Royal Society's early period _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
wealthy patrons of natural philosophy effectively reduced barriers to Royal Society membership for impoverished scholars.
fellows of the Royal Society most likely possessed considerable financial resources and leisure time for research.
the number of published research papers in natural philosophy increased steadily after 1660.
scholars with access to expensive books and instruments were unlikely to gain Royal Society fellowship.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'During the early years of the Royal Society of London (founded 1660), membership required demonstrating significant contributions to natural philosophy through published research, experimental work, or mathematical discoveries.' |
|
| 'The society's records show that the primary pathway to fellowship involved presenting original research papers, which required substantial financial resources for equipment, materials, and leisure time to conduct investigations.' |
|
| 'Most applicants also needed access to expensive books, instruments, and laboratory spaces.' |
|
| '(Wealthy patrons occasionally sponsored promising but impoverished scholars, though such arrangements were uncommon.)' |
|
| 'While relatively few scholars could meet these research publication requirements, those who did generated the majority of the period's scientific advances and discoveries, suggesting that during the Royal Society's early period ______' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The Royal Society's early membership requirements created substantial financial barriers that few scholars could overcome, but those who did became the period's most productive scientists.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Royal Society membership required demonstrated contributions, then details how this practically meant needing significant financial resources for research materials and time. It acknowledges that wealthy sponsorship occasionally helped poor scholars but emphasizes this was rare. Finally, it notes that while few could meet these requirements, those who did were remarkably productive, setting up a conclusion about what this pattern reveals about the early period.
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 establishes a clear pattern: membership required substantial financial resources (equipment, materials, leisure time, expensive books, instruments, lab space)
- Wealthy patron sponsorship was uncommon
- Few scholars could meet these requirements, yet those few generated most of the scientific advances
- The right answer should connect these dots logically
- If the requirements demanded significant financial resources, patron help was rare, and only a few succeeded, then those few must have had the financial means themselves
- The answer should indicate that Royal Society fellows likely possessed considerable wealth or financial resources that allowed them to meet the demanding requirements independently
wealthy patrons of natural philosophy effectively reduced barriers to Royal Society membership for impoverished scholars.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims wealthy patrons effectively reduced barriers for poor scholars
- Contradicts the passage's explicit statement that patron sponsorship was 'uncommon'
- This represents a trap for students who might focus on the mention of wealthy patrons and miss that the passage emphasizes how rare such arrangements were
fellows of the Royal Society most likely possessed considerable financial resources and leisure time for research.
✓ Correct
- States that fellows most likely possessed considerable financial resources and leisure time
- Perfectly matches our prethinking - if the requirements demanded substantial resources and patron help was rare, then successful members must have had the means themselves
- Directly supported by the passage's emphasis on financial barriers and the rarity of external sponsorship
the number of published research papers in natural philosophy increased steadily after 1660.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the number of published papers increased steadily after 1660
- The passage discusses requirements and who could meet them, not publication trends over time
- Makes a claim about quantity changes that isn't supported by the evidence provided
scholars with access to expensive books and instruments were unlikely to gain Royal Society fellowship.
✗ Incorrect
- States scholars with access to expensive resources were unlikely to gain fellowship
- Directly contradicts the passage logic - access to expensive resources was exactly what was needed for fellowship
- Gets the relationship completely backwards