In 1815, while in exile in Jamaica, Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar penned a letter praising England's republican government and expressing...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
In 1815, while in exile in Jamaica, Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar penned a letter praising England's republican government and expressing hope that Latin American nations seeking independence from Spain might achieve something similar. The letter was addressed to a local merchant, Henry Cullen; ________ though, Bolívar's goal was to persuade political leaders from England and Europe to support his cause.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
additionally,
ultimately,
accordingly,
consequently,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'In 1815, while in exile in Jamaica, Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar penned a letter praising England's republican government and expressing hope that Latin American nations seeking independence from Spain might achieve something similar.' |
|
| 'The letter was addressed to a local merchant, Henry Cullen;' |
|
| [MISSING TRANSITION] |
|
| 'though, Bolívar's goal was to persuade political leaders from England and Europe to support his cause.' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While Bolívar's letter appeared to be addressed to a local merchant, his real goal was to influence European political leaders to support Latin American independence.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the surface-level purpose of Bolívar's letter (praising England to a merchant), then reveals the deeper strategic purpose (actually targeting European political leaders for support). The missing transition must connect these two levels of purpose.
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 transition must show the relationship between the surface-level action (writing to Cullen) and the true underlying purpose (targeting European leaders)
- The word 'though' after the blank signals that we're about to learn something that contrasts with or clarifies what we just read
- We need a word that indicates Bolívar's real, final, or underlying intention
additionally,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Additionally' suggests adding more information or another goal
- This doesn't work because the second part isn't an additional goal—it's revealing the true underlying goal
ultimately,
✓ Correct
- 'Ultimately' shows final purpose or true underlying intention
- Creates perfect logical flow: letter addressed to Cullen, but ultimately his goal was to reach European leaders
- Works perfectly with 'though' to show the deeper strategic purpose behind the surface action
accordingly,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Accordingly' suggests logical consequence or expected result
- This doesn't fit because persuading European leaders isn't a logical consequence of addressing the letter to Cullen
consequently,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Consequently' indicates a result or outcome
- But targeting European leaders isn't a consequence of writing to Cullen—it's the true underlying purpose
Answer: B