One popular theory of the origin of the Moon, the 'big whack,' posits that a protoplanet called Theia collided with...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
One popular theory of the origin of the Moon, the 'big whack,' posits that a protoplanet called Theia collided with Earth, flinging debris into orbit that eventually coalesced into the Moon. Until recently, Theia was _______, but researcher Qian Yuan and colleagues now claim to have identified pieces of the protoplanet in the lowermost section of Earth's mantle.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
desultory
spurious
veritable
notional
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "One popular theory of the origin of the Moon, the 'big whack,' posits that a protoplanet called Theia collided with Earth, flinging debris into orbit that eventually coalesced into the Moon." |
|
| "Until recently, Theia was ______," |
|
| "but researcher Qian Yuan and colleagues now claim to have identified pieces of the protoplanet in the lowermost section of Earth's mantle." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[THEORY EXPLANATION] → [PREVIOUS STATUS] → "Until recently, Theia was ______" → [CONTRAST] → "but now researchers found pieces" → [NEW EVIDENCE] → Actual physical pieces identified
Main Point:
A theory about how the Moon formed has moved from having no physical evidence of the proposed protoplanet Theia to researchers now claiming they've found actual pieces of it.
Argument Flow:
The passage sets up the "big whack" theory, then creates a contrast between how Theia existed "until recently" versus the current situation where researchers claim to have found physical evidence of it.
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 logical relationship here is clear: we're contrasting Theia's previous status with the current discovery of actual physical pieces
- Since researchers have "now" found pieces, this suggests that before, Theia was something like theoretical or hypothetical rather than physically confirmed
- The word we need should indicate that Theia was previously more of a concept or theory rather than something with proven physical existence
- So the right answer should indicate that Theia was theoretical or conceptual rather than physically verified
desultory
desultory
✗ Incorrect
- "Desultory" means lacking purpose, plan, or enthusiasm
- This doesn't create any logical relationship with finding physical pieces
- Has nothing to do with the contrast between theoretical and physical evidence
spurious
spurious
✗ Incorrect
- "Spurious" means fake or based on false reasoning
- This would suggest the theory itself was false, but the passage doesn't dismiss the theory
- The discovery of pieces actually supports the theory rather than revealing it as false
veritable
veritable
✗ Incorrect
- "Veritable" means genuine or actual
- This creates the wrong logical relationship - if Theia was already "veritable" (real), finding pieces wouldn't be newsworthy
- Students might think this fits because pieces were found, but this reverses the intended contrast
notional
notional
✓ Correct
- "Notional" means theoretical or conceptual rather than actual
- Creates perfect contrast: Theia was theoretical → but now physical pieces found
- Matches our prethinking about the shift from conceptual to physical evidence
- The "until recently" and "but now" structure supports this theoretical-to-physical progression