Environmental scientists at the University of Colorado conducted a comprehensive analysis of renewable energy adoption patterns across rural communiti...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Environmental scientists at the University of Colorado conducted a comprehensive analysis of renewable energy adoption patterns across rural communities. ______ their research tracked solar panel installations, wind turbine deployments, and energy consumption changes in 847 small towns over a five-year period to determine which factors most influenced sustainable energy transitions.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Specifically,
Therefore,
Furthermore,
In contrast,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Environmental scientists at the University of Colorado conducted a comprehensive analysis of renewable energy adoption patterns across rural communities." |
|
| "[MISSING TRANSITION]" |
|
| "their research tracked solar panel installations, wind turbine deployments, and energy consumption changes in 847 small towns over a five-year period to determine which factors most influenced sustainable energy transitions." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Environmental scientists conducted a detailed five-year study tracking multiple renewable energy indicators across hundreds of rural communities to identify key factors driving sustainable energy adoption.
Argument Flow: The passage opens by announcing a comprehensive research study, then provides the specific details of how that study was conducted and what it aimed to discover.
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
- Looking at our analysis, the first sentence announces a comprehensive analysis in general terms
- The second sentence then breaks down exactly what this comprehensive analysis involved - the specific types of data tracked, the number of communities, the time period, and the research goal
- The relationship here is one where the second sentence provides concrete specifics about the general concept mentioned in the first sentence
- We need a connector that signals here are the specific details of what I just mentioned in general terms
Specifically,
- Correct - Specifically signals that what follows will give concrete details about something mentioned generally
- This perfectly matches our prethinking - the first sentence mentions a comprehensive analysis and the second gives the specific details of what that analysis entailed
Therefore,
- Incorrect - Therefore indicates a cause-and-effect relationship where the second part is a result of the first
- The specific research methods are not a result of conducting a comprehensive analysis - they ARE the comprehensive analysis
Furthermore,
- Incorrect - Furthermore suggests adding new, additional information beyond what was already covered
- The second sentence is not adding something new beyond the scope of the first - it is detailing what the first sentence already mentioned
In contrast,
- Incorrect - In contrast signals opposition or difference between two ideas
- Nothing in the second sentence contradicts or differs from the first sentence