In the field of medical research, Latin American scientists had never received recognition at the highest level of international achievement....
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
In the field of medical research, Latin American scientists had never received recognition at the highest level of international achievement. ______ when Dr. Maria Santos was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023 for her groundbreaking gene therapy work, she broke this historical barrier as the first Latina to earn this prestigious honor.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Previously,
Consequently,
Nevertheless,
Similarly,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'In the field of medical research, Latin American scientists had never received recognition at the highest level of international achievement.' |
|
| '______' |
|
| 'when Dr. Maria Santos was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023 for her groundbreaking gene therapy work, she broke this historical barrier as the first Latina to earn this prestigious honor.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Maria Santos became the first Latina to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, breaking a historical barrier.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Latin American scientists had never achieved the highest level of recognition in medical research, then introduces Dr. Santos as the person who changed that historical pattern in 2023. The missing transition must bridge these contrasting ideas.
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 contrast between 'never happened before' and 'but it did happen'
- It needs to acknowledge that the second statement contradicts or goes against the first
- The relationship is one of exception or contradiction to the established pattern
- The right answer should signal 'despite this historical pattern, here's what actually happened' or 'contrary to this trend, this person succeeded.'
Previously,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Previously' indicates time sequence but doesn't capture the contrast needed
- This would suggest Dr. Santos came before the historical pattern, which makes no sense
- Wrong logical relationship - we need contrast, not chronology
Consequently,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Consequently' suggests the Nobel Prize resulted from the lack of recognition
- This creates a cause-effect relationship that's illogical
Nevertheless,
✓ Correct
- 'Nevertheless' perfectly captures the contrast between the historical pattern and the exception
- Shows that despite the established trend, Dr. Santos succeeded
- Matches our prethinking about needing a contradiction/contrast transition
Similarly,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Similarly' suggests Dr. Santos's achievement is like the historical pattern
- This would mean she also didn't get recognition, which contradicts the passage
- Completely wrong logical relationship