Economic researcher Sarah Kim examined retail development trends across regional metropolitan zones. Her investigation uncovered that central business...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Economic researcher Sarah Kim examined retail development trends across regional metropolitan zones. Her investigation uncovered that central business districts and peripheral shopping centers within identical regions commonly displayed remarkably similar merchant categories and dining establishments. Kim discovered two explanations for this retail convergence: peripheral complex developers systematically target thriving central district businesses to open satellite operations in their facilities, and central business proprietors proactively seek peripheral expansion possibilities because of reduced rental expenses and operating expenditures. Based on Kim's investigation, both circumstances validate the inference that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
retail enterprises in central and peripheral zones might originate from interconnected commercial networks.
peripheral shopping facilities typically yield higher profits than central business areas.
central district merchants usually initiate the majority of inter-regional business connections.
common retailers amplify susceptibility to financial declines throughout commercial zones.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Economic researcher Sarah Kim examined retail development trends across regional metropolitan zones. |
|
| Her investigation uncovered that central business districts and peripheral shopping centers within identical regions commonly displayed remarkably similar merchant categories and dining establishments. |
|
| Kim discovered two explanations for this retail convergence: |
|
| peripheral complex developers systematically target thriving central district businesses to open satellite operations in their facilities, |
|
| and central business proprietors proactively seek peripheral expansion possibilities because of reduced rental expenses and operating expenditures. |
|
| Based on Kim's investigation, both circumstances validate the inference that ______ |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Sarah Kim found that central business districts and peripheral shopping centers in the same regions have similar retailers, and she identified two explanations for this convergence.
Argument Flow: Kim presents research showing retail similarity between central and peripheral zones, then offers two complementary explanations: peripheral developers actively recruit successful central businesses, while central business owners independently seek peripheral expansion for cost savings. The passage asks us to infer what both explanations together validate.
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
- Both explanations involve movement or connections between central and peripheral retail zones
- Both show that retailers are not operating in isolation - there's some kind of relationship or network between different zones
- Both suggest that successful businesses in one zone end up in the other zone through different mechanisms
- The right answer should reflect that retailers across different zones are connected or networked in some way, rather than operating independently
retail enterprises in central and peripheral zones might originate from interconnected commercial networks.
✗ Incorrect
- This directly captures what both explanations show: retailers are connected across zones
- Explanation 1 shows developers creating networks by recruiting businesses
- Explanation 2 shows business owners creating networks by expanding
- Both create interconnected commercial networks between central and peripheral zones
peripheral shopping facilities typically yield higher profits than central business areas.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims peripheral facilities are more profitable than central areas
- Neither explanation provides profit comparison data - we only know about cost differences
central district merchants usually initiate the majority of inter-regional business connections.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims central merchants usually initiate the majority of connections
- Too specific and unsupported - we have two equal explanations, and there's no data about which happens more often
common retailers amplify susceptibility to financial declines throughout commercial zones.
✗ Incorrect
- Discusses financial vulnerability and risk across zones
- Neither explanation addresses financial risk or susceptibility to declines - they focus on business expansion patterns