My interest in old public libraries has led me to seek them out whenever I visit a new part of...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
My interest in old public libraries has led me to seek them out whenever I visit a new part of the United States. ______ I could visit every state in the US and still not find the oldest public library in the Western Hemisphere. That library, the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, is located in Puebla, Mexico.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
As a result,
Nevertheless,
Earlier,
In other words,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "My interest in old public libraries has led me to seek them out whenever I visit a new part of the United States." |
|
| "______" |
|
| "I could visit every state in the US and still not find the oldest public library in the Western Hemisphere." |
|
| "That library, the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, is located in Puebla, Mexico." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite the author's interest in seeking old libraries throughout the United States, the oldest public library in the Western Hemisphere is actually located in Mexico.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the author's practice of hunting for old libraries across different parts of the US, then reveals a contrasting limitation - that even searching every US state wouldn't locate the oldest library in the Western Hemisphere because it's actually in Mexico.
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 relationship we need is between "seeking old libraries throughout the US" and "even visiting every state wouldn't find the oldest one"
- This creates a clear contrast - the author describes their US-focused search practice, but then reveals that such a comprehensive search would still miss the actual oldest library
- We need a transition that signals this contrast or unexpected limitation to the author's US-based approach
As a result,
✗ Incorrect
- "As a result" suggests the second part logically follows from the first
- This doesn't work because being unable to find the oldest library isn't a result of the author's interest - it's a contrasting limitation to their approach
Nevertheless,
✓ Correct
- "Nevertheless" signals contrast or opposition between two ideas
- This perfectly captures the relationship: despite the author's practice of seeking libraries in the US, there's a surprising limitation - even exhaustive US searching wouldn't find the oldest one
Earlier,
✗ Incorrect
- "Earlier" is a time reference suggesting something happened before
- The passage isn't about timing or chronological sequence - it's about contrasting the geographic scope of the search with the actual location
In other words,
✗ Incorrect
- "In other words" suggests the second part restates or clarifies the first
- The second part doesn't restate the first - it reveals a surprising geographic limitation that contrasts with the US-focused approach