Indigenous cultures possess unique knowledge of the medicinal uses of plants. According to a 2021 study, 73 percent of the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Indigenous cultures possess unique knowledge of the medicinal uses of plants. According to a 2021 study, \(73\) percent of the medicinal uses of plants native to North America are reflected in the vocabulary of a single Indigenous language. However, as more and more Indigenous people exclusively speak a globally dominant language, such as English, their ancestral languages fade from daily use. These facts lend added importance to tribal nations' efforts to preserve their languages. By ensuring the continued use of Cherokee, Ojibwe, and the hundreds of other Indigenous languages in what is now the United States, tribal nations are also ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Indigenous cultures possess unique knowledge of the medicinal uses of plants. |
|
| According to a 2021 study, 73 percent of the medicinal uses of plants native to North America are reflected in the vocabulary of a single Indigenous language. |
|
| However, as more and more Indigenous people exclusively speak a globally dominant language, such as English, their ancestral languages fade from daily use. |
|
| These facts lend added importance to tribal nations' efforts to preserve their languages. |
|
| By ensuring the continued use of Cherokee, Ojibwe, and the hundreds of other Indigenous languages in what is now the United States, tribal nations are also ______ |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Indigenous languages contain valuable medicinal plant knowledge, and as these languages disappear, preserving them becomes crucial for maintaining this knowledge.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Indigenous cultures have unique medicinal plant knowledge, provides evidence that this knowledge is embedded in their languages, identifies the threat of language loss, and concludes that language preservation efforts have additional importance because they also preserve this valuable knowledge.
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 passage establishes a clear chain of logic: Indigenous languages contain medicinal plant knowledge, these languages are disappearing, preserving languages is important
- The blank asks what else happens when languages are preserved
- Since the passage emphasizes that medicinal knowledge is embedded in these languages, preserving the languages must also preserve this medicinal knowledge
- The right answer should connect language preservation directly to preserving the medicinal plant knowledge that's contained within these languages
- The passage doesn't discuss expanding vocabulary but preserving existing knowledge
- The passage emphasizes preserving Indigenous languages themselves, not translating them
- Perfectly matches the passage's logic: if 73% of medicinal uses are in language vocabulary, then preserving languages preserves this knowledge
- The passage is about preserving knowledge, not ensuring plant availability