The ancient Sumerian civilization formed around 4000 BCE between two large rivers in an area that is now Iraq and...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The ancient Sumerian civilization formed around 4000 BCE between two large rivers in an area that is now Iraq and Syria. The extremely hot and sunny weather in that area helped crops grow very quickly, but it also made it hard to keep the crops from drying up and dying. So, the Sumerians used water from the rivers in their farming. That method worked so well that they often could harvest even more crops than they needed in a season. As a result, the Sumerians ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
harvested crops only on the hottest days of each season.
found ways to shield their crops from the sun.
did not begin farming until long after 4000 BCE.
were able to store extra crops for later use.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The ancient Sumerian civilization formed around 4000 BCE between two large rivers in an area that is now Iraq and Syria.' |
|
| 'The extremely hot and sunny weather in that area helped crops grow very quickly, but it also made it hard to keep the crops from drying up and dying.' |
|
| 'So, the Sumerians used water from the rivers in their farming.' |
|
| 'That method worked so well that they often could harvest even more crops than they needed in a season.' |
|
| 'As a result, the Sumerians ______' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The Sumerians developed successful irrigation techniques that produced more crops than they needed, leading to some logical consequence.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a cause-and-effect sequence: environmental challenge led to innovative solution, which was so successful it created surplus, which then led to some unspecified but logical outcome.
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
- When people have more of something than they need immediately, they typically find ways to preserve or save the extra for future use
- Since the Sumerians had surplus crops, they would logically need to deal with that surplus in some practical way
- The most sensible approach would be to store or preserve the extra crops so they could use them later when needed
harvested crops only on the hottest days of each season.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests they only harvested on the hottest days
- This doesn't logically follow from having surplus crops
found ways to shield their crops from the sun.
✗ Incorrect
- This describes protecting crops from sun damage
- This would be a response to the drying problem, not to having surplus
did not begin farming until long after 4000 BCE.
✗ Incorrect
- This directly contradicts the passage, which states they formed around 4000 BCE
were able to store extra crops for later use.
✓ Correct
- This directly addresses what you'd do with surplus crops - store them
- Logically follows from 'more crops than they needed in a season' and makes practical sense