SpeciesArea covered in 2009 (in square meters)Area covered in 2018 (in square meters)Percent increase in area covered from 2009 to...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Species | Area covered in 2009 (in square meters) | Area covered in 2018 (in square meters) | Percent increase in area covered from 2009 to 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deschampsia antarctica | 1,230 | 1,576 | 28% |
| Colobanthus quitensis | 6.9 | 10.7 | 55% |
The only flowering plant species native to Antarctica, Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica grow in places where the earth remains free of ice for much of the year. Botanist Niccoletta Cannone wondered how the warming of Antarctica's climate in recent years had affected these species, so she visited a site in Antarctica, first in 2009 and later in 2018, to count the number of plants growing there. Cannone found that the area of land covered by the two species had significantly expanded during the nine-year period. While both species likely benefited from warming temperatures, Colobanthus quitensis ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the comparison?
suppressed the growth of Deschampsia antarctica, which covered a smaller area of land in 2018 than it had in 2009.
saw a greater expansion than Deschampsia antarctica did, increasing the area of land it covered by more than half.
showed a greater increase in the average size of individual plants than Deschampsia antarctica did.
covered land newly freed from ice at a rate 55% faster than that of Deschampsia antarctica.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The only flowering plant species native to Antarctica, Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica grow in places where the earth remains free of ice for much of the year." |
|
| "Botanist Niccoletta Cannone wondered how the warming of Antarctica's climate in recent years had affected these species," |
|
| "so she visited a site in Antarctica, first in 2009 and later in 2018, to count the number of plants growing there." |
|
| "Cannone found that the area of land covered by the two species had significantly expanded during the nine-year period." |
|
| Data Table: Species coverage and percent increases |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A botanist's study showed that both Antarctic flowering plant species expanded their coverage from 2009 to 2018, likely due to climate warming.
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 the data, Colobanthus quitensis had a 55% increase while Deschampsia antarctica had a 28% increase
- The correct answer should show that Colobanthus quitensis had a larger percentage increase than Deschampsia antarctica, using the table data correctly
suppressed the growth of Deschampsia antarctica, which covered a smaller area of land in 2018 than it had in 2009.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Deschampsia antarctica covered smaller area in 2018 than 2009
- This contradicts the table data showing Deschampsia increased from \(1,230\) to \(1,576\) square meters
saw a greater expansion than Deschampsia antarctica did, increasing the area of land it covered by more than half.
✓ Correct
- States that Colobanthus quitensis saw a greater expansion than Deschampsia antarctica did, increasing the area of land it covered by more than half
- This matches our data: \(55\%\) is indeed more than half and greater than Deschampsia's \(28\%\)
showed a greater increase in the average size of individual plants than Deschampsia antarctica did.
✗ Incorrect
- Discusses average size of individual plants
- The table only provides total area coverage data, not information about individual plant sizes
covered land newly freed from ice at a rate 55% faster than that of Deschampsia antarctica.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Colobanthus covered land at a rate \(55\%\) faster than Deschampsia antarctica
- This misinterprets what the \(55\%\) represents - it's the percent increase for Colobanthus, not a rate comparison between species