Text 1: Environmental research focusing on local ecosystems and indigenous knowledge receives significantly less institutional funding than large-scal...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Text 1: Environmental research focusing on local ecosystems and indigenous knowledge receives significantly less institutional funding than large-scale global climate studies. This disparity persists even when community-based environmental research demonstrates practical applications and innovative methodologies. Funding agencies consistently favor broad, internationally applicable studies over place-based environmental work, regardless of the latter's proven effectiveness.
Text 2: Dr. Maria Santos has developed a watershed management system based on traditional ecological knowledge from Oregon coastal communities. Her methods have proven highly effective in restoring salmon populations and preventing erosion. Despite publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at conferences, Dr. Santos has struggled to secure major federal grants, with reviewers consistently citing the limited geographic scope of her community-focused research approach.
In light of the information presented in Text 1, the situation described in Text 2 would most likely be viewed as:
Predictable, given institutional preferences for large-scale studies over community-based environmental research
Concerning, since traditional ecological knowledge deserves equal consideration with conventional methods
Inevitable, because Dr. Santos focused on local rather than global environmental challenges
Surprising, considering her peer-reviewed publications should guarantee funding success
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Text 1: Environmental research focusing on local ecosystems and indigenous knowledge receives significantly less institutional funding than large-scale global climate studies. |
|
| This disparity persists even when community-based environmental research demonstrates practical applications and innovative methodologies. |
|
| Funding agencies consistently favor broad, internationally applicable studies over place-based environmental work, regardless of the latter's proven effectiveness. |
|
| Text 2: Dr. Maria Santos has developed a watershed management system based on traditional ecological knowledge from Oregon coastal communities. |
|
| Her methods have proven highly effective in restoring salmon populations and preventing erosion. |
|
| Despite publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at conferences, Dr. Santos has struggled to secure major federal grants, with reviewers consistently citing the limited geographic scope of her community-focused research approach. |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Funding agencies systematically prefer large-scale studies over effective community-based environmental research, as illustrated by Dr. Santos's experience.
Argument Flow: Text 1 establishes that funding agencies favor broad studies over local/community research regardless of effectiveness. Text 2 then provides a concrete example of this pattern through Dr. Santos, who has effective community-based research but cannot secure funding due to its limited geographic scope.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? How would Text 2's situation be viewed given the information in Text 1?
What type of answer do we need? A judgment about how Text 1's general pattern relates to Text 2's specific situation.
Any limiting keywords? In light of the information presented in Text 1 - we need to use Text 1 as our lens for understanding Text 2.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Text 1 establishes a clear pattern: funding agencies consistently favor large-scale studies over community-based research, even when the community research is effective
- Text 2 gives us Dr. Santos, who has effective community-based research but struggles with funding because reviewers cite limited geographic scope
- This is exactly the pattern Text 1 describes - effective community research being rejected in favor of broader studies
- The right answer should recognize that Text 2's situation perfectly fits the institutional pattern Text 1 established, making Dr. Santos's experience predictable rather than surprising
Predictable, given institutional preferences for large-scale studies over community-based environmental research
- This directly matches our analysis
- Text 1 establishes that institutions prefer large-scale studies over community-based research
- Dr. Santos's situation exemplifies this exact preference pattern
- The word predictable captures how Text 1 would make us expect exactly this outcome
Concerning, since traditional ecological knowledge deserves equal consideration with conventional methods
- While the situation might be concerning, the question asks how it would be viewed in light of Text 1
- Text 1 presents this as an established pattern, not something to evaluate morally
- This focuses on whether the situation deserves concern rather than how predictable it is
Inevitable, because Dr. Santos focused on local rather than global environmental challenges
- Inevitable is too strong and suggests no possibility of change
- The focus on local rather than global misses the key point about institutional funding preferences
Surprising, considering her peer-reviewed publications should guarantee funding success
- This is the opposite of what Text 1 would predict
- Text 1 specifically says the disparity persists regardless of proven effectiveness, so publications would not guarantee funding