Literary historian Dr. James Fletcher discovered a collection of manuscripts in the archives of a 16th-century monastery in England. The...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Literary historian Dr. James Fletcher discovered a collection of manuscripts in the archives of a 16th-century monastery in England. The manuscripts, written in Middle English, appear to be previously unknown works by an anonymous medieval poet. Preliminary analysis suggests these texts predate the printing press era and were likely composed during the late medieval period. The discovery has generated considerable excitement among scholars studying medieval literature.
Based on the text, which choice best describes the manuscripts?
They were written by a famous medieval author.
They are frequently discovered in English monasteries.
They originated from a historical time period that has ended.
They contain primarily religious themes and content.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Literary historian Dr. James Fletcher discovered a collection of manuscripts in the archives of a 16th-century monastery in England." |
|
| "The manuscripts, written in Middle English, appear to be previously unknown works by an anonymous medieval poet." |
|
| "Preliminary analysis suggests these texts predate the printing press era and were likely composed during the late medieval period." |
|
| "The discovery has generated considerable excitement among scholars studying medieval literature." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Fletcher discovered previously unknown medieval manuscripts that represent significant finds for medieval literature scholars.
Argument Flow: The passage introduces a manuscript discovery, describes their key characteristics (Middle English, anonymous, medieval), provides scholarly dating analysis placing them in the late medieval/pre-printing press era, and concludes by noting the excitement this has generated among scholars.
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
- From our analysis, we know the manuscripts are:
- Written in Middle English by an anonymous medieval poet
- Previously unknown works
- From the late medieval period (before printing press era)
- Discovered in a 16th-century monastery
- Generating excitement among scholars
The key insight is that these manuscripts come from the "late medieval period" - a historical era that is clearly in the past and no longer exists. So the right answer should recognize that these manuscripts originated from a historical time period that has ended.
They were written by a famous medieval author.
✗ Incorrect
- The passage explicitly states the works are by an "anonymous medieval poet" - anonymous means the author is unknown, not famous. This directly contradicts the information given.
They are frequently discovered in English monasteries.
✗ Incorrect
- Nothing in the passage suggests these discoveries are frequent or common. The fact that this discovery "generated considerable excitement among scholars" actually implies it's rare and noteworthy.
They originated from a historical time period that has ended.
✓ Correct
- The passage states the manuscripts were "likely composed during the late medieval period." The late medieval period is a historical era that ended centuries ago. This accurately captures that the manuscripts originated from a past historical time period.
They contain primarily religious themes and content.
✗ Incorrect
- The passage provides no information about the content or themes of the manuscripts. While they were found in a monastery, this doesn't mean the content is religious.