The 435 state districts in the US House of Representatives are designed to be roughly equal in population. These districts...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
The 435 state districts in the US House of Representatives are designed to be roughly equal in population. These districts average around 760,000 people in size. However, only about 730,000 people live in the state of Alaska. ______ Alaska has just one House district, encompassing the entire state.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
As a result,
Instead,
Finally,
For instance,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The 435 state districts in the US House of Representatives are designed to be roughly equal in population.' |
|
| 'These districts average around 760,000 people in size.' |
|
| 'However, only about 730,000 people live in the state of Alaska.' |
|
| [MISSING TRANSITION] |
|
| 'Alaska has just one House district, encompassing the entire state.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
GENERAL RULE: House districts should have equal population (~760k avg) → SPECIFIC CASE: Alaska has only 730k people (below average) → [MISSING CONNECTOR] → LOGICAL OUTCOME: Alaska gets 1 district (whole state)
Main Point: Since Alaska's population is smaller than the average House district, it receives just one district that covers the entire state.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the general principle that House districts should have roughly equal populations averaging 760,000 people. It then presents Alaska as a special case with only 730,000 residents—below the typical district size. The missing transition should connect this population shortfall to the logical consequence that Alaska gets just one district covering the whole state.
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 passage analysis, we need a transition that shows the logical relationship between Alaska having fewer people than average (730k vs 760k average) and Alaska getting just one House district for the entire state
- This is a cause-and-effect relationship—Alaska's smaller population directly leads to it receiving just one district rather than being divided into multiple districts
- The right transition should indicate that Alaska's single district is a direct consequence of its below-average population size
As a result,
✓ Correct
- 'As a result' perfectly shows the cause-and-effect relationship we identified
- Alaska's below-average population (cause) leads to getting one district (effect)
- Matches our prethinking about needing a transition that shows logical consequence
Instead,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Instead' indicates contrast or alternative, suggesting Alaska does something different from the norm
- While Alaska's arrangement is different, the passage isn't contrasting approaches—it's showing a logical outcome
- This represents a trap where students might choose this because Alaska's situation seems 'different,' but the passage shows consequence, not contrast
Finally,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Finally' suggests this is the last item in a sequence or a concluding point
- The passage only presents one example (Alaska), so there's no sequence to conclude
- This transition doesn't capture the logical relationship between population size and district allocation
For instance,
✗ Incorrect
- 'For instance' introduces an example of a broader principle
- Alaska isn't being presented as an example of equal population districts—it's actually the opposite
- This represents a trap where students might think Alaska exemplifies something about House districts, but it actually represents an exception due to population constraints