Modernista architects championed nature in their designs. ______ the wavy staircase and ornate floral tilework of Hospital de Sant Pau,...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Modernista architects championed nature in their designs. ______ the wavy staircase and ornate floral tilework of Hospital de Sant Pau, a Modernista hospital designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, couldn't exactly grow in a forest. Still, one sees natural influences in Domènech i Montaner's penchant for curves (rather than right angles) and plant- and animal-inspired flourishes.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Modernista architects championed nature in their designs.' |
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| '______' |
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| 'the wavy staircase and ornate floral tilework of Hospital de Sant Pau, a Modernista hospital designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, couldn't exactly grow in a forest.' |
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| 'Still, one sees natural influences in Domènech i Montaner's penchant for curves (rather than right angles) and plant- and animal-inspired flourishes.' |
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Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While Modernista architectural elements couldn't literally exist in nature, architects like Domènech i Montaner still incorporated natural influences through design choices like curves and organic motifs.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Modernista architects championed nature, then acknowledges the obvious limitation that architectural elements can't literally be natural, but resolves this by showing how natural influences appeared in design choices and aesthetic preferences.
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
- We need a transition that acknowledges the relationship between the opening claim (architects championed nature) and what follows (architectural elements couldn't grow in a forest)
- The transition should signal that what comes next is an obvious or expected limitation to the initial claim, while setting up the 'Still' that follows to show natural influences exist despite this limitation
- The connector should acknowledge something obvious or expected - that of course architectural elements can't literally be natural, even though architects champion nature in their designs
- 'Furthermore' suggests we're adding more support to the same idea
- But the sentence about hospital elements not growing in forests isn't additional support for championing nature - it's acknowledging a limitation
- 'Similarly' suggests the example parallels or supports the opening claim
- But hospital elements not being able to grow in forests doesn't similarly show how architects championed nature
- Acknowledges what follows is obvious or expected
- Perfectly sets up the apparent limitation (architectural elements can't literally be natural)
- Works smoothly with 'Still' to show that despite this obvious point, natural influences exist
- 'Thus' signals a conclusion or result following from the previous statement
- The hospital example isn't a conclusion from architects championing nature