Researchers believe that pieces of hull found off Oregon's coast are from a Spanish cargo ship that was lost in...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Researchers believe that pieces of hull found off Oregon's coast are from a Spanish cargo ship that was lost in 1697. Stories passed down among the area's Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians support this belief. ______ Siletz stories describe how blocks of beeswax, an item the ship had been carrying, began washing ashore after the ship was lost.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For this reason,
For example,
However,
Likewise,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Researchers believe that pieces of hull found off Oregon's coast are from a Spanish cargo ship that was lost in 1697.' |
|
| 'Stories passed down among the area's Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians support this belief.' |
|
| [MISSING TRANSITION] |
|
| 'Siletz stories describe how blocks of beeswax, an item the ship had been carrying, began washing ashore after the ship was lost.' |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[RESEARCHERS' BELIEF] Spanish ship from 1697 = hull pieces found → [SUPPORTING EVIDENCE] Siletz tribal stories back this up → [MISSING CONNECTOR] + [SPECIFIC EXAMPLE] Stories describe beeswax washing ashore
Main Point: Physical evidence and Native American oral histories both point to the same conclusion about a 1697 Spanish shipwreck off Oregon's coast.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from a general scientific claim to supporting evidence, then provides a specific example of how that evidence works. The tribal stories don't just vaguely support the belief—they contain specific details that match what the ship was actually carrying.
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 table, the sentence before the blank tells us that Siletz stories support the researchers' belief
- The sentence after the blank gives us specific content from those stories—they describe beeswax blocks washing ashore, and we learn the ship had been carrying beeswax
- The relationship here is that the second sentence provides a concrete example of how the first sentence works
- The stories don't just generally support the belief; they contain specific details that match the historical ship
- So the right answer should signal that what follows is a specific example or illustration of the general statement that came before
For this reason,
'For this reason'
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the next sentence explains a consequence or result
- But the Siletz stories describing beeswax aren't a result of the stories supporting the belief—they ARE the stories
- Creates a cause-and-effect relationship that doesn't exist here
For example,
'For example'
✓ Correct
- Signals that specific details or illustrations are coming
- Perfect fit: the sentence after gives us the specific content of those supporting stories
- Shows exactly how the tribal stories support the researchers' belief—by describing beeswax that matches what the ship carried
However,
'However'
✗ Incorrect
- Signals contrast or opposition
- But there's no conflict between the stories supporting the belief and the stories describing beeswax
- The beeswax detail reinforces rather than contradicts the support
Likewise,
'Likewise'
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests similarity to a previous example
- But we haven't been given any previous examples to compare to
- This would work if we already had one example and were adding another similar one