While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Grimanesa Amoros is a Peruvian American artist well known for...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Grimanesa Amoros is a Peruvian American artist well known for her LED light sculptures.
- Her sculpture Uros Island is made of smooth multicolored LED domes.
- It occupies 335 cubic feet of space.
- Her sculpture Fortuna is made of entangled blue and white LED tubes.
- It occupies 19,950 cubic feet of space.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between Uros Island and Fortuna. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
The smooth LED domes of Grimanesa Amoros's Uros Island stand in contrast to the tangled LED tubes of Fortuna.
At 19,950 cubic feet in size, Grimanesa Amoros's Fortuna cuts a larger figure than the 335-cubic-foot Uros Island.
Grimanesa Amoros is the artist behind Uros Island—a sculpture made of smooth multicolored LED domes.
Uros Island is an LED light sculpture made by Grimanesa Amoros, as is Fortuna.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Grimanesa Amoros is a Peruvian American artist well known for her LED light sculptures.' |
|
| 'Her sculpture Uros Island is made of smooth multicolored LED domes.' |
|
| 'It occupies 335 cubic feet of space.' |
|
| 'Her sculpture Fortuna is made of entangled blue and white LED tubes.' |
|
| 'It occupies 19,950 cubic feet of space.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
- [ARTIST BACKGROUND]
Grimanesa Amoros = Peruvian American LED sculpture artist - [SCULPTURE 1: UROS ISLAND]
- Form: smooth multicolored LED domes
- Size: 335 cubic feet
- [SCULPTURE 2: FORTUNA]
- Form: entangled blue/white LED tubes
- Size: 19,950 cubic feet
Main Point: These notes provide information about Grimanesa Amoros and two of her LED light sculptures with different forms and sizes.
Argument Flow: The notes establish Amoros as an LED sculpture artist, then provide details about two specific works - Uros Island (small, dome-shaped, multicolored) and Fortuna (large, tube-shaped, blue and white).
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? Which choice most effectively emphasizes a similarity between the two sculptures.
What type of answer do we need? A statement that highlights what Uros Island and Fortuna have in common.
Any limiting keywords? 'similarity' and 'most effectively' - we need the choice that best brings out shared characteristics.
For Rhetorical Synthesis questions, the student's goal is crucial: they want to emphasize a similarity between Uros Island and Fortuna. This means we need to identify what these sculptures share and find the choice that best highlights those commonalities.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- From our analysis, Uros Island and Fortuna share two key similarities:
- Both are created by the same artist (Grimanesa Amoros)
- Both are LED light sculptures
- The right answer should highlight at least one of these shared characteristics rather than focusing on their differences (form, color, size)
- It should present both sculptures in a way that emphasizes what they have in common
- The right answer should clearly state that both works share the same artist and/or medium, making their similarity explicit rather than their differences
The smooth LED domes of Grimanesa Amoros's Uros Island stand in contrast to the tangled LED tubes of Fortuna.
✗ Incorrect
- Emphasizes contrast between 'smooth LED domes' and 'tangled LED tubes'
- Uses the word 'contrast' explicitly, which is the opposite of similarity
- What trap this represents: Students might focus on the fact that both sculptures use LEDs and miss that the choice is structured to highlight differences, not similarities
At 19,950 cubic feet in size, Grimanesa Amoros's Fortuna cuts a larger figure than the 335-cubic-foot Uros Island.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares sizes (19,950 vs 335 cubic feet) to show Fortuna is larger
- Focuses on a difference, not a similarity
- What trap this represents: Students might think mentioning both sculptures' sizes creates a comparison that shows similarity, but the choice actually emphasizes how different they are in scale
Grimanesa Amoros is the artist behind Uros Island—a sculpture made of smooth multicolored LED domes.
✗ Incorrect
- Only describes Uros Island without mentioning Fortuna
- Cannot emphasize similarity between two things when only one is discussed
- Misses the comparative nature of what the question asks for
Uros Island is an LED light sculpture made by Grimanesa Amoros, as is Fortuna.
✓ Correct
- States that both Uros Island and Fortuna are LED light sculptures by Grimanesa Amoros
- Directly highlights the two main similarities: same artist and same medium
- Uses parallel structure that emphasizes the shared characteristics