Marine archaeologists have found much of the wooden hull of a sixteenth-century ship in a flooded quarry in southeast England....
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Marine archaeologists have found much of the wooden hull of a sixteenth-century ship in a flooded quarry in southeast England. When it is exposed to air and water, wood rots quickly unless it is protected by sediment that shields it from oxygen. Therefore, the discovered ship was likely ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
covered by a protective sediment layer in the quarry.
one of several other ships buried in the same quarry.
a confirmation of previous theories about the type of wood that was used in sixteenth-century ships.
first constructed much earlier than previously thought.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Marine archaeologists have found much of the wooden hull of a sixteenth-century ship in a flooded quarry in southeast England.' |
|
| 'When it is exposed to air and water, wood rots quickly unless it is protected by sediment that shields it from oxygen.' |
|
| 'Therefore, the discovered ship was likely ______' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Since wood rots quickly when exposed to air and water unless protected by sediment, the well-preserved ship must have been shielded by sediment.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that archaeologists found a preserved wooden ship, then explains the general rule for how wood can survive (sediment protection from oxygen), and logically concludes what must have happened to this specific ship.
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 ship was well-preserved enough to be discovered by archaeologists
- The passage tells us wood rots quickly when exposed to air and water, but wood can be preserved if sediment shields it from oxygen
- So the right answer should explain that this ship was protected by sediment
covered by a protective sediment layer in the quarry.
✓ Correct
- This directly follows from the scientific principle given
- If wood needs sediment protection to avoid rotting, and this wood survived, then it must have had that protection
one of several other ships buried in the same quarry.
✗ Incorrect
- The passage gives no information about other ships in the quarry
- This doesn't address the preservation question at all
a confirmation of previous theories about the type of wood that was used in sixteenth-century ships.
✗ Incorrect
- The passage doesn't discuss theories about wood types
- This completely ignores the preservation logic the passage sets up
first constructed much earlier than previously thought.
✗ Incorrect
- Nothing in the passage suggests the ship is older than expected
- This doesn't connect to the preservation principle at all