The following text is from Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar's 1961 novel The Time Regulation Institute (translated from the Turkish in 2014...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The following text is from Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar's 1961 novel The Time Regulation Institute (translated from the Turkish in 2014 by Maureen Freely and Alexander Dawe). The narrator was once involved with the Time Regulation Institute, a fictional bureaucracy that regulates the time of Turkey's clocks.
I may be the most humble and absurd man in the world and, as my wife says, the most slovenly creature you may ever meet—that is, before the founding of our institute—but I did come to know a truly great man who possessed a natural genius for invention. I spent years at his side. I watched the way he worked. I witnessed how an idea would suddenly catch fire in his mind and take shape, like a tree sprouting shoots and branches, before coming into being.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A person was fortunate enough to have found love despite his obvious shortcomings.
An exceptionally talented person professes humility to avoid intimidating others.
A person appreciates the extensive time he passed in the company of someone he deeply admired.
A truly brilliant person lets ideas mature in his mind before expressing them aloud.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "I may be the most humble and absurd man in the world and, as my wife says, the most slovenly creature you may ever meet—that is, before the founding of our institute—" |
|
| "but I did come to know a truly great man who possessed a natural genius for invention." |
|
| "I spent years at his side." |
|
| "I watched the way he worked. I witnessed how an idea would suddenly catch fire in his mind and take shape, like a tree sprouting shoots and branches, before coming into being." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A humble narrator expresses appreciation for the years he spent closely observing and learning from an exceptionally talented inventor.
Argument Flow: The narrator first establishes his own humble, unremarkable nature, then contrasts this by introducing the truly great inventor he had the privilege to know. He emphasizes both the extended time they spent together and the profound experience of witnessing this person's creative genius in action.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main idea of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? A statement that captures the central message or primary focus of the passage
Any limiting keywords? "Main idea" tells us we need the overarching point, not a supporting detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should capture that this passage is fundamentally about the narrator's appreciation for his experience with the great inventor
- Key elements it should include: the narrator's gratitude for the time spent with someone he clearly admired, the fact that he spent significant time (years) with this person, and the focus should be on the narrator's experience and perspective
A person was fortunate enough to have found love despite his obvious shortcomings.
- This suggests the passage is about finding romantic love despite flaws
- The passage mentions the narrator's wife only briefly
- The main focus is clearly on his professional relationship with the inventor, not his marriage
An exceptionally talented person professes humility to avoid intimidating others.
- This incorrectly identifies who is being humble
- It's the narrator who describes himself as humble, not the great inventor
- The great inventor is portrayed as confident and naturally gifted
A person appreciates the extensive time he passed in the company of someone he deeply admired.
- This perfectly captures the narrator's appreciation for the time he spent with the inventor
- "Extensive time" matches "spent years at his side" and "someone he deeply admired" aligns with calling him "a truly great man" with "natural genius"
A truly brilliant person lets ideas mature in his mind before expressing them aloud.
- This focuses on the inventor's creative process rather than the narrator's appreciation
- While the passage does describe how ideas develop in the inventor's mind, this is supporting detail, not the main idea