In the 1960s, Gloria Richardson led a movement to promote racial equality. Her involvement in this effort was inspired by...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
In the 1960s, Gloria Richardson led a movement to promote racial equality. Her involvement in this effort was inspired by her daughter, Donna Richardson. In 1961, Donna joined protests organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Cambridge, Maryland. Following her daughter, Gloria joined these protests too. Gloria soon became the cochair of the Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee. She was also the leader of what became known as the Cambridge movement.
According to the text, what did Gloria Richardson lead?
The Cambridge movement
Her daughter Donna's high school
Protests to support environmental protections
A new business in Cambridge, Maryland
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "In the 1960s, Gloria Richardson led a movement to promote racial equality." |
|
| "Her involvement in this effort was inspired by her daughter, Donna Richardson." |
|
| "In 1961, Donna joined protests organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Cambridge, Maryland." |
|
| "Following her daughter, Gloria joined these protests too." |
|
| "Gloria soon became the cochair of the Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee." |
|
| "She was also the leader of what became known as the Cambridge movement." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Gloria Richardson became a leader in the 1960s civil rights movement, ultimately leading what became known as the Cambridge movement.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Gloria Richardson as a movement leader, then traces how her daughter's activism inspired her involvement. It shows her progression from protest participant to cochair of an organization to leader of the broader Cambridge movement.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? What did Gloria Richardson lead according to the text?
What type of answer do we need? A specific organization, movement, or group that the passage explicitly states Gloria Richardson led.
Any limiting keywords? "According to the text" - we need direct textual evidence, not inference.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our passage analysis, we need to find what the text explicitly states Gloria Richardson led
- From our table, we can see two leadership roles mentioned: she became cochair of the Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee, and she "was also the leader of what became known as the Cambridge movement"
- Since the question asks what she led (not co-led), and since the passage specifically states she was "the leader" of the Cambridge movement, that's our key piece of evidence
- So the right answer should identify the Cambridge movement as what Gloria Richardson led
The Cambridge movement
The Cambridge movement
✓ Correct
- The passage directly states: "She was also the leader of what became known as the Cambridge movement"
- This matches our prethinking perfectly - it's the explicit answer to what Gloria Richardson led
Her daughter Donna's high school
Her daughter Donna's high school
✗ Incorrect
- The passage never mentions Donna's high school or suggests Gloria led any educational institution
- This choice has no textual support whatsoever
Protests to support environmental protections
Protests to support environmental protections
✗ Incorrect
- The passage discusses protests for racial equality, not environmental protections
- This represents a trap where students might confuse the type of cause or movement being discussed
A new business in Cambridge, Maryland
A new business in Cambridge, Maryland
✗ Incorrect
- The passage mentions Cambridge, Maryland as a location but never discusses any business
- No textual evidence supports Gloria leading a business venture