While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:For over a century, scholars believed the ancient Mayan civilization...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- For over a century, scholars believed the ancient Mayan civilization collapsed suddenly around 900 CE.
- This theory was based on the abrupt end of monument construction and inscriptions in major cities.
- Recent archaeological excavations have revealed extensive evidence of continued settlement.
- Smaller communities persisted for centuries after the supposed collapse.
- Many Mayans migrated to rural areas and maintained their cultural practices.
- The apparent "collapse" was actually a shift from urban centers to dispersed rural communities.
The student wants to specify the reason scholarly understanding of Mayan civilization changed. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Archaeological excavations revealing continued settlement and rural migration have shown that the Mayan "collapse" was actually a transformation to dispersed communities rather than a sudden end.
Although scholars long believed the Mayan civilization collapsed around 900 CE, recent evidence shows that smaller communities persisted for centuries.
For over a century, scholars interpreted the end of monument construction as evidence of sudden collapse, but the Mayan civilization actually continued in rural areas.
The Mayan civilization shifted from urban centers to dispersed rural communities around 900 CE, maintaining cultural practices for centuries.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "For over a century, scholars believed the ancient Mayan civilization collapsed suddenly around 900 CE." |
|
| "This theory was based on the abrupt end of monument construction and inscriptions in major cities." |
|
| "Recent archaeological excavations have revealed extensive evidence of continued settlement." |
|
| "Smaller communities persisted for centuries after the supposed collapse." |
|
| "Many Mayans migrated to rural areas and maintained their cultural practices." |
|
| "The apparent collapse was actually a shift from urban centers to dispersed rural communities." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Recent archaeological discoveries have changed scholarly understanding by showing that what appeared to be a Mayan civilization collapse was actually a transformation from urban centers to rural communities.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a classic old view vs. new evidence structure. It first presents the century-old belief in sudden collapse and its supporting evidence, then introduces contradictory archaeological findings that reveal continued settlement and rural migration, ultimately reframing the collapse as a geographic and social transformation.
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
- The reason understanding changed was archaeological excavations that revealed new evidence
- The right answer should identify archaeological excavations as the specific reason and explain what these excavations revealed about continued settlement and rural migration
Archaeological excavations revealing continued settlement and rural migration have shown that the Mayan "collapse" was actually a transformation to dispersed communities rather than a sudden end.
- Directly identifies archaeological excavations as the reason understanding changed and specifies what they revealed about continued settlement and rural migration
Although scholars long believed the Mayan civilization collapsed around 900 CE, recent evidence shows that smaller communities persisted for centuries.
- Describes what the new understanding is but uses vague recent evidence instead of identifying archaeological excavations as the specific reason
For over a century, scholars interpreted the end of monument construction as evidence of sudden collapse, but the Mayan civilization actually continued in rural areas.
- Focuses on contrasting old vs. new interpretations but does not identify what caused scholars to change their understanding
The Mayan civilization shifted from urban centers to dispersed rural communities around 900 CE, maintaining cultural practices for centuries.
- Describes what happened historically to the Mayans but does not address scholarly understanding or what caused it to change