Paleontologists once thought that early apes lived in tropical forests, but recent research suggests that they may have actually lived...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Paleontologists once thought that early apes lived in tropical forests, but recent research suggests that they may have actually lived in savannas. Tropical forests are humid and have many trees spaced close together. ________ savannas are drier, and their trees are spaced further apart.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For instance,
In comparison,
Firstly,
In conclusion,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Paleontologists once thought that early apes lived in tropical forests, but recent research suggests that they may have actually lived in savannas.' |
|
| 'Tropical forests are humid and have many trees spaced close together.' |
|
| '[MISSING TRANSITION]' |
|
| 'savannas are drier, and their trees are spaced further apart.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Recent research challenges the old belief about where early apes lived, suggesting savannas rather than tropical forests.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a scientific shift from thinking apes lived in forests to thinking they lived in savannas, then contrasts the environmental characteristics of these two habitats.
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
- Looking at our analysis, we have tropical forests described as humid with close trees, followed by the blank, then savannas described as drier with trees further apart
- We need a transition that signals we're moving from describing one type of environment to describing a contrasting environment
- The relationship here is clearly one of comparison or contrast
For instance,
For instance,
✗ Incorrect
- This signals that savannas are an example of tropical forests
- But savannas are actually being contrasted with tropical forests, not presented as an example of them
In comparison,
In comparison,
✓ Correct
- This signals we're comparing savannas to the tropical forests just described
- Perfect fit for the contrast being drawn between humid/close trees vs. dry/far apart trees
Firstly,
Firstly,
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests we're starting a numbered list or sequence
- But we're not listing multiple points - we're contrasting two environments
In conclusion,
In conclusion,
✗ Incorrect
- This signals we're wrapping up or summarizing
- But we're actually introducing new descriptive information about savannas