Scholars are increasingly exploring the communication and preservation of ecological knowledge through Indigenous songs (e.g., Sakha songs about local...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Scholars are increasingly exploring the communication and preservation of ecological knowledge through Indigenous songs (e.g., Sakha songs about local ecosystems and those of the Kaluli people about rainforest sounds). In one study, ethnobiologist Dana Lepofsky et al. received insight from Kwaxsistalla Wathl'thla, a song keeper for the Kwakwaka'wakw people in Canada, into songs referencing the people's use of terraced gardens in intertidal zones along the Pacific Northwest coast for the cultivation of clams for consumption. Archaeological evidence of significant increases in clam size and abundance in that area concurrent with the documented past implementation of the method described in the songs supports the conclusion that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
SAT Solution: Indigenous Songs and Ecological Knowledge
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Scholars are increasingly exploring the communication and preservation of ecological knowledge through Indigenous songs (e.g., Sakha songs about local ecosystems and those of the Kaluli people about rainforest sounds).' |
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| 'In one study, ethnobiologist Dana Lepofsky et al. received insight from Kwaxsistalla Wathl'thla, a song keeper for the Kwakwaka'wakw people in Canada, into songs referencing the people's use of terraced gardens in intertidal zones along the Pacific Northwest coast for the cultivation of clams for consumption.' |
|
| 'Archaeological evidence of significant increases in clam size and abundance in that area concurrent with the documented past implementation of the method described in the songs supports the conclusion that ______' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[GENERAL CONTEXT] Indigenous songs research → [SPECIFIC EXAMPLE] Kwakwaka'wakw study → [SUPPORTING EVIDENCE] Archaeological evidence → [CONCLUSION - to be completed]
Main Point: Archaeological evidence confirms that the clam cultivation methods described in Kwakwaka'wakw songs were historically effective, as evidenced by increased clam size and abundance during periods when the method was implemented.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from general research on Indigenous ecological knowledge in songs to a specific study of Kwakwaka'wakw clam cultivation songs, then presents archaeological evidence that validates the historical effectiveness of the practices described in those songs, leading to a conclusion about what this evidence supports.
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 archaeological evidence shows that clam size and abundance significantly increased during the time when the terraced garden method described in the songs was actually being used
- This creates a clear cause-and-effect relationship - the method worked, and it actually improved the clam population beyond just maintaining it
- The right answer should connect this evidence to show that the ancestral practice was not only successful but actually enhanced the resource they were cultivating
- ✓ Correct
- Directly connects the archaeological evidence (increased size and abundance) to the effectiveness of the ancestral practice
- The phrase about maintaining and promoting robustness perfectly matches the evidence of increases in both clam size and abundance
- This is exactly what the archaeological evidence supports
- ✗ Incorrect
- Claims that non-Indigenous people adopted the practice after observing its effectiveness
- The passage provides no information about other groups adopting Kwakwaka'wakw practices
- This conclusion isn't supported by any evidence presented
- ✗ Incorrect
- Suggests there's more archaeological support for Kwakwaka'wakw practices than for Sakha and Kaluli practices
- The passage doesn't provide any information about archaeological evidence for the other Indigenous groups' practices
- ✗ Incorrect
- Makes claims about contemporary Kwakwaka'wakw people's current practices and attitudes
- The passage focuses entirely on historical practices and archaeological evidence, with no mention of current practices