Research into a medieval manuscript housed in a monastery library has produced conflicting chronological evidence. The manuscript's decorative element...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Research into a medieval manuscript housed in a monastery library has produced conflicting chronological evidence. The manuscript's decorative elements and scribal techniques are consistent with twelfth-century production methods, while textual analysis—including theological references and linguistic features—indicates the work's content was originally composed in the thirteenth century. Accepting both dating conclusions as accurate would mean that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
twelfth-century manuscripts are more frequently preserved in monastic libraries than thirteenth-century texts.
the text was originally composed elsewhere and later copied by scribes using older techniques.
the monastery was established by scholars from a different theological tradition than previously assumed.
the manuscript may have suffered damage that altered some of its original decorative features.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Research into a medieval manuscript housed in a monastery library has produced conflicting chronological evidence.' |
|
| 'The manuscript's decorative elements and scribal techniques are consistent with twelfth-century production methods,' |
|
| 'while textual analysis—including theological references and linguistic features—indicates the work's content was originally composed in the thirteenth century.' |
|
| 'Accepting both dating conclusions as accurate would mean that ______' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A medieval manuscript shows conflicting dating evidence that suggests different time periods for its physical production versus content creation.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a dating puzzle where physical evidence points to 12th-century production methods while content analysis indicates 13th-century composition, then asks us to infer what this combination would logically mean.
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
- If the physical production is genuinely 12th century AND the content composition is genuinely 13th century, then we have a manuscript that was physically created using older methods than when its content was originally written
- This suggests the content existed first (13th century) and was later copied using traditional/older production techniques
- So the right answer should explain how content from a later period could be produced using earlier techniques - most likely through a copying process
twelfth-century manuscripts are more frequently preserved in monastic libraries than thirteenth-century texts.
✗ Incorrect
- Discusses preservation patterns in libraries
- Doesn't address the dating conflict at all
- Irrelevant to reconciling 12th-century production with 13th-century content
the text was originally composed elsewhere and later copied by scribes using older techniques.
✓ Correct
- Explains that the text was 'originally composed elsewhere' (accounts for 13th-century content) then 'later copied by scribes using older techniques' (accounts for 12th-century production methods)
- Perfectly reconciles both pieces of evidence by suggesting a copying process
the monastery was established by scholars from a different theological tradition than previously assumed.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on the monastery's founding and theological tradition
- Doesn't explain the chronological conflict between production and content dates
the manuscript may have suffered damage that altered some of its original decorative features.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests damage altered decorative features
- This would make the evidence unreliable, but the question asks us to accept both conclusions as accurate