In 1154, Muhammad al-Idrisi completed a collection of maps of the lands known to medieval Arabic and European scholars. This...

GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions

Source: Practice Test

Craft and Structure

Text Structure and Purpose

MEDIUM

...

Notes

Post a Query

In 1154, Muhammad al-Idrisi completed a collection of maps of the lands known to medieval Arabic and European scholars. This collection was titled Al-Kitāb al-Rujārī (The Book of Roger), after the Norman king Roger II who hired him to create it. To create the collection, al-Idrisi consulted Arabic and Greek maps and interviewed travelers about the lands they visited. He included these travelers' stories alongside the map illustrations.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

To discuss the benefits of studying mapmaking

To explain how travelers created maps

To describe a collection of medieval maps and how it was created

To compare medieval Arabic and Greek mapmaking techniques

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table

Text from Passage	Analysis
"In 1154, Muhammad al-Idrisi completed a collection of maps of the lands known to medieval Arabic and European scholars."	What it says: 1154: al-Idrisi completed map collection (medieval Arab/European lands) What it does: Introduces the main subject and when it happened What it is: Opening context
"This collection was titled Al-Kitab al-Rujari (The Book of Roger), after the Norman king Roger II who hired him to create it."	What it says: Collection = Book of Roger (named after King Roger II, who commissioned it) What it does: Provides the title and explains the commissioning relationship What it is: Background detail
"To create the collection, al-Idrisi consulted Arabic and Greek maps and interviewed travelers about the lands they visited."	What it says: Creation method: consulted maps + interviewed travelers What it does: Explains the research methodology used What it is: Process description
"He included these travelers' stories alongside the map illustrations."	What it says: Added traveler stories + map images What it does: Describes what was included in the final product What it is: Content description

Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements

Main Point: The passage describes al-Idrisi's medieval map collection and explains how he created it through research and interviews.

Argument Flow: The passage starts by identifying when and what al-Idrisi completed, then provides context about the title and commissioner, and finally explains his methodology and what he included in the finished work.

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? An overall characterization of what the passage is trying to accomplish
Any limiting keywords? Main purpose means we need the primary goal, not a secondary detail

Step 3: Prethink the Answer

The passage gives us a clear sequence: it tells us about a specific map collection, identifies it by name and commissioner, then explains exactly how it was made
The right answer should capture both the what (describing the collection) and the how (explaining the creation process)
We're not getting arguments about benefits or comparisons of techniques - just straightforward information about this particular collection and its methodology

Answer Choices Explained

To discuss the benefits of studying mapmaking

✗ Incorrect

Claims the purpose is discussing benefits of studying mapmaking
The passage never mentions any benefits or advantages
Simply presents factual information about one specific collection

To explain how travelers created maps

✗ Incorrect

Says the purpose is explaining how travelers created maps
The travelers didn't create the maps - al-Idrisi did
The travelers were interviewed as sources, but al-Idrisi did the actual mapmaking

To describe a collection of medieval maps and how it was created

✓ Correct

Captures both key elements: describing the collection AND explaining how it was created
Matches our passage analysis perfectly - we get identification of the collection plus methodology
Medieval maps fits the 1154 timeframe mentioned

To compare medieval Arabic and Greek mapmaking techniques

✗ Incorrect

Claims the purpose is comparing Arabic and Greek techniques
While Arabic and Greek maps are mentioned, there's no comparison between their methods
They're simply listed as sources al-Idrisi consulted

Rate this Solution

Tell us what you think about this solution

...

Forum Discussions

Start a new discussion

Post

Previous Attempts

Loading attempts...