Environmental scientists studying urban air quality have found that community reports often provide valuable early indicators of pollution patterns. L...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Environmental scientists studying urban air quality have found that community reports often provide valuable early indicators of pollution patterns. Local residents frequently notice changes in air quality before monitoring equipment registers significant shifts. _____ residents in the Riverside District reported persistent headaches and respiratory irritation three weeks before air quality sensors detected elevated particulate matter levels.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
To illustrate,
As a result,
In contrast,
Similarly,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Environmental scientists studying urban air quality have found that community reports often provide valuable early indicators of pollution patterns." |
|
| "Local residents frequently notice changes in air quality before monitoring equipment registers significant shifts." |
|
| "[MISSING TRANSITION]" |
|
| "residents in the Riverside District reported persistent headaches and respiratory irritation three weeks before air quality sensors detected elevated particulate matter levels." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research shows that community reports serve as valuable early warning systems for air pollution, with residents detecting problems before official monitoring equipment.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from a broad research finding to a general explanation of the pattern, then provides a specific real-world example that illustrates this phenomenon in action.
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 passage analysis, we have a general pattern described (residents notice changes before equipment), and then after the blank, we get a specific real-world case of exactly that happening in Riverside District
- The right answer should signal that a specific example is coming to demonstrate the general point
To illustrate,
✓ Correct
- "To illustrate" perfectly signals that a specific example will demonstrate the general pattern
- Matches exactly what happens: the Riverside District case illustrates how residents detect problems before sensors
As a result,
✗ Incorrect
- "As a result" indicates cause and effect, suggesting the Riverside case happened because of the research finding
- The Riverside case is not a consequence of the research but an example that supports it
In contrast,
✗ Incorrect
- "In contrast" signals opposition or difference
- The Riverside case aligns perfectly with the described pattern and does not contrast with it
Similarly,
✗ Incorrect
- "Similarly" suggests another comparable situation to something previously mentioned
- We have not been given any other specific cases to compare with