Following the American Revolutionary War, North American foodways underwent a radical transformation, fueled in large part by spiking consumer demand...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Following the American Revolutionary War, North American foodways underwent a radical transformation, fueled in large part by spiking consumer demand for certain grains. The cultivation, trade, and transportation of maize and wheat, _______ reconfigured the continent's existing regional foodways into a globally oriented food system.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
in particular,
alternatively,
by comparison,
second of all,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Following the American Revolutionary War, North American foodways underwent a radical transformation, fueled in large part by spiking consumer demand for certain grains." |
|
| "The cultivation, trade, and transportation of maize and wheat," |
|
| "[MISSING TRANSITION]" |
|
| "reconfigured the continent's existing regional foodways into a globally oriented food system." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture and Core Elements
Main Point: After the Revolutionary War, American food systems transformed from regional to global networks, driven primarily by increased demand for specific grains like maize and wheat.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a major transformation in North American food systems following the Revolutionary War. It identifies consumer demand for certain grains as the driving force, then focuses on maize and wheat as the key examples, explaining how their cultivation, trade, and transportation created this shift from regional to global food networks.
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 mentions "certain grains" in general terms
- Then we get specific with "maize and wheat"
- The missing transition needs to signal that we are moving from the general concept of "certain grains" to specific examples of those grains
- We need a connector that says "specifically" or "for example" - something that indicates we are narrowing down from the broad category to particular instances
- The relationship here is specification or exemplification - maize and wheat are specific examples of the "certain grains" that caused the transformation
in particular,
"in particular,"
✓ Correct
- Correct - Creates the perfect logical bridge from "certain grains" to the specific examples of "maize and wheat"
- Signals that we are narrowing from general to specific, which matches our analysis
- Makes the sentence flow naturally: demand for grains then maize and wheat in particular caused change
alternatively,
"alternatively,"
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Suggests maize and wheat are different options instead of the main cause
- Creates illogical meaning - implies there were other ways the transformation happened
- This trap makes students think this introduces a different approach, but the passage presents maize and wheat as the primary drivers, not alternatives
by comparison,
"by comparison,"
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Signals contrast or comparison with something else
- No comparison is being made - we are just specifying which grains
- Would require mentioning what maize and wheat are being compared to
second of all,
"second of all,"
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Implies this is the second point in a numbered list
- No "first of all" appears anywhere in the passage
- Creates a sequence that does not exist in the text structure