In analyzing community responses to the 1918 influenza pandemic, sociologist Dr. Margaret Wells concludes that social cooperation increased during the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
In analyzing community responses to the 1918 influenza pandemic, sociologist Dr. Margaret Wells concludes that social cooperation increased during the crisis.
Which passage from her research notes best supports this conclusion?
Mortality rates peaked in October 1918, affecting all age groups.
Neighbors organized food deliveries for quarantined families and shared medical supplies.
The pandemic lasted approximately two years worldwide.
Public health officials struggled to implement effective containment measures.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "In analyzing community responses to the 1918 influenza pandemic, sociologist Dr. Margaret Wells concludes that social cooperation increased during the crisis." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[RESEARCH CONTEXT] Dr. Wells analyzing 1918 pandemic responses → [MAIN CONCLUSION] Social cooperation increased during crisis
Main Point: Dr. Wells found that social cooperation increased during the 1918 influenza pandemic.
Argument Flow: This brief passage presents a sociologist's research finding about how communities responded to the 1918 pandemic. The core claim is that rather than social breakdown, there was actually increased cooperation between people during this health crisis.
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 correct research note should show concrete examples of people working together during the pandemic
- It should demonstrate cooperative behaviors that likely increased during the crisis
- It should focus on social cooperation specifically, not just general pandemic facts
- We'd expect to see examples like people helping neighbors, sharing resources, or organizing community support
- The right answer should provide clear, specific examples of people cooperating with each other during the 1918 pandemic crisis
Mortality rates peaked in October 1918, affecting all age groups.
- This provides mortality statistics, not evidence of social cooperation
- While factual information about the pandemic, it doesn't address community cooperation behaviors
Neighbors organized food deliveries for quarantined families and shared medical supplies.
- Provides concrete examples of social cooperation: organized food deliveries and shared medical supplies
- Shows neighbors actively helping each other during the crisis
- Directly demonstrates the increased cooperation that Dr. Wells concluded occurred
The pandemic lasted approximately two years worldwide.
- States the pandemic's duration, which is factual but irrelevant to cooperation
- Provides no information about how people behaved toward each other
Public health officials struggled to implement effective containment measures.
- Describes institutional failures, not community cooperation
- Shows official struggles rather than increased social cooperation