In her 2021 article Throwaway History: Towards a Historiography of Ephemera, scholar Anne Garner discusses John Johnson (1882–1956), a devoted...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
In her 2021 article Throwaway History: Towards a Historiography of Ephemera, scholar Anne Garner discusses John Johnson (1882–1956), a devoted collector of items intended to be discarded, including bus tickets and campaign pamphlets. Johnson recognized that scholarly institutions considered his expansive collection of ephemera to be worthless—indeed, it wasn't until 1968, after Johnson's death, that Oxford University's Bodleian Library acquired the collection, having grasped the items' potential value to historians and other researchers. Hence, the example of Johnson serves to ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
demonstrate the difficulties faced by contemporary historians in conducting research at the Bodleian Library without access to ephemera.
represent the challenge of incorporating examples of ephemera into the collections of libraries and other scholarly institutions.
lend support to arguments by historians and other researchers who continue to assert that ephemera holds no value for scholars.
illustrate both the relatively low scholarly regard in which ephemera was once held and the later recognition of ephemera's possible utility.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'In her 2021 article 'Throwaway History: Towards a Historiography of Ephemera,' scholar Anne Garner discusses John Johnson (1882–1956), a devoted collector of items intended to be discarded, including bus tickets and campaign pamphlets.' |
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| 'Johnson recognized that scholarly institutions considered his expansive collection of ephemera to be worthless—' |
|
| 'indeed, it wasn't until 1968, after Johnson's death, that Oxford University's Bodleian Library acquired the collection, having grasped the items' potential value to historians and other researchers.' |
|
| 'Hence, the example of Johnson serves to ______' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: John Johnson's story illustrates how scholarly attitudes toward ephemera shifted from dismissal to recognition of value.
Argument Flow: The passage introduces Johnson as someone who collected discarded items, explains that scholars initially saw no value in his collection, then shows how this changed when Oxford acquired the collection after recognizing its research potential, setting up the question about what this transformation demonstrates.
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 answer must capture two key elements from Johnson's story
- The initial dismissal: Scholars originally considered ephemera worthless
- The later recognition: Academic institutions eventually saw the research value
- The story shows a complete shift in scholarly perspective over time
- The right answer should acknowledge both the original negative attitude and the subsequent positive recognition of ephemera's value to researchers
demonstrate the difficulties faced by contemporary historians in conducting research at the Bodleian Library without access to ephemera.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses only on difficulties researchers face at the Bodleian Library
- Misses the broader point about changing scholarly attitudes
- Too narrow—the passage isn't about research difficulties but about attitude shifts
represent the challenge of incorporating examples of ephemera into the collections of libraries and other scholarly institutions.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on logistical challenges of incorporating ephemera into collections
- The passage isn't about practical acquisition problems
- Misses the central theme of changing scholarly perception
lend support to arguments by historians and other researchers who continue to assert that ephemera holds no value for scholars.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Johnson's example supports arguments that ephemera has no value
- Directly contradicts the passage—Oxford eventually acquired the collection because they recognized its value
illustrate both the relatively low scholarly regard in which ephemera was once held and the later recognition of ephemera's possible utility.
✓ Correct
- Captures both key elements: relatively low scholarly regard (initial dismissal) and later recognition of ephemera's possible utility (Oxford's acquisition)
- Matches our prethinking perfectly—acknowledges the complete attitude shift