The Mauna Loa Observatory has established itself as a premier climate monitoring facility. ______ the observatory maintains continuous atmospheric mea...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
The Mauna Loa Observatory has established itself as a premier climate monitoring facility. ______ the observatory maintains continuous atmospheric measurements spanning over six decades, making it one of the longest-running climate data collection sites in the world.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Meanwhile,
Indeed,
Otherwise,
Nevertheless,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The Mauna Loa Observatory has established itself as a premier climate monitoring facility." |
|
| "[MISSING TRANSITION]" |
|
| "the observatory maintains continuous atmospheric measurements spanning over six decades, making it one of the longest-running climate data collection sites in the world." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The Mauna Loa Observatory deserves recognition as a premier climate monitoring facility based on its long-running data collection.
Argument Flow: The passage makes a claim about the observatory's premier status, then (after the missing transition) provides concrete evidence supporting this claim through its six-decade measurement record.
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 analysis, the first sentence makes a claim about premier status, and the second sentence provides evidence supporting that claim
- We need a transition that shows the second part reinforces or confirms what was just stated
- The right transition should signal that what follows will support the opening claim about being "premier"
Meanwhile,
✗ Incorrect
- "Meanwhile" indicates something happening at the same time as something else
- This doesn't fit because we're not talking about simultaneous events - we're providing evidence for a claim
Indeed,
✓ Correct
- "Indeed" means "in fact" and signals that what follows confirms or reinforces what was just stated
- This perfectly matches our prethinking - the second sentence provides evidence that confirms the observatory's premier status
Otherwise,
✗ Incorrect
- "Otherwise" means "if not" and introduces an alternative or consequence
- This makes no sense here - we're not presenting an alternative to being premier
Nevertheless,
✗ Incorrect
- "Nevertheless" means "despite this" and introduces a contrast or contradiction
- This would suggest the long measurement record somehow contradicts being premier, which is the opposite of what we want