Dr. Sarah Chen has spent decades studying deep-sea marine life in the Pacific Ocean. While reviewing archived footage from a...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Dr. Sarah Chen has spent decades studying deep-sea marine life in the Pacific Ocean. While reviewing archived footage from a 1980s research expedition, she discovered images of what appeared to be an entirely new species of bioluminescent jellyfish. Despite her extensive knowledge of Pacific marine ecosystems, Chen had never encountered this particular organism. She immediately organized a deep-water submersible expedition to the coordinates where the original footage was taken.
This decision suggests that Chen believed the jellyfish species _____
had likely migrated to different ocean regions since the 1980s footage was recorded.
inhabited depths or areas of the ocean she had not yet explored in her fieldwork.
was actually a known species that had been misidentified in the archived footage.
represented a recent evolutionary development that occurred after the 1980s expedition.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Dr. Sarah Chen has spent decades studying deep-sea marine life in the Pacific Ocean." |
|
| "While reviewing archived footage from a 1980s research expedition, she discovered images of what appeared to be an entirely new species of bioluminescent jellyfish." |
|
| "Despite her extensive knowledge of Pacific marine ecosystems, Chen had never encountered this particular organism." |
|
| "She immediately organized a deep-water submersible expedition to the coordinates where the original footage was taken." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: An expert marine biologist discovered footage of an unknown jellyfish species and decided to return to the original filming location with specialized equipment.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Chen as a highly knowledgeable expert, then presents her discovery of something completely unfamiliar to her expertise. Her immediate decision to return to the exact coordinates with deep-water equipment suggests she had a specific theory about why she'd never encountered this species before.
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 key is Chen's specific response: she went back to the exact same coordinates with deep-water equipment
- As an expert who had "never encountered this particular organism" despite "extensive knowledge," her decision tells us something important about where she thinks this species exists
- If she returns to the same location with specialized deep-water gear, she must believe the species is still there but in a place or at depths she hadn't previously accessed
had likely migrated to different ocean regions since the 1980s footage was recorded.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the jellyfish moved away from the original location
- If Chen thought they had migrated elsewhere, returning to the 1980s coordinates would be pointless
inhabited depths or areas of the ocean she had not yet explored in her fieldwork.
✓ Correct
- This perfectly explains why an expert would return to specific coordinates with specialized equipment
- Chen's extensive knowledge combined with never seeing this species suggests there are depths or areas she hasn't fully explored
was actually a known species that had been misidentified in the archived footage.
✗ Incorrect
- If she thought it was just a misidentified known species, she wouldn't need an expedition
- She could simply research existing species documentation instead
represented a recent evolutionary development that occurred after the 1980s expedition.
✗ Incorrect
- If this were a recent evolutionary development, the species wouldn't have existed in the 1980s
- This directly contradicts the fact that the footage is from the 1980s