While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: The Peace Corps was proposed by Senator John F....
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Peace Corps was proposed by Senator John F. Kennedy during his 1960 presidential campaign.
- Kennedy envisioned young Americans serving in developing countries to promote peace and friendship.
- The program officially launched in March 1961, just months after Kennedy took office.
- The first group of Peace Corps volunteers departed for Ghana and Tanzania in August 1961.
- By the end of 1961, over 500 volunteers were serving in eight different countries.
- The Peace Corps became one of Kennedy's most enduring and successful domestic policy initiatives.
The student wants to emphasize when the Peace Corps was first proposed. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
The Peace Corps launched officially in March 1961, with the first volunteers departing for Ghana and Tanzania by August of that year.
During his 1960 presidential campaign, Senator John F. Kennedy proposed the Peace Corps, envisioning young Americans promoting peace and friendship in developing countries.
By the end of 1961, over 500 Peace Corps volunteers were serving in eight different countries, making it one of Kennedy's most successful initiatives.
The Peace Corps, which became one of Kennedy's most enduring domestic policy successes, involved young Americans serving in developing countries.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| The Peace Corps was proposed by Senator John F. Kennedy during his 1960 presidential campaign. |
|
| Kennedy envisioned young Americans serving in developing countries to promote peace and friendship. |
|
| The program officially launched in March 1961, just months after Kennedy took office. |
|
| The first group of Peace Corps volunteers departed for Ghana and Tanzania in August 1961. |
|
| By the end of 1961, over 500 volunteers were serving in eight different countries. |
|
| The Peace Corps became one of Kennedy's most enduring and successful domestic policy initiatives. |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The Peace Corps evolved from Kennedy's 1960 campaign proposal to become a successful and enduring program that deployed young Americans to promote peace in developing countries.
Argument Flow: The notes trace a chronological progression from the Peace Corps' origins as a campaign proposal in 1960, through Kennedy's vision and rapid implementation in 1961, to its ultimate assessment as one of Kennedy's most successful policy achievements.
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
- It must mention when the Peace Corps was first proposed (according to our notes, during Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign)
- It should make the timing prominent, not buried in other details
- It needs to focus on the proposal stage, not the launch or implementation stages
- The right answer should prominently feature the 1960 presidential campaign timing and make it clear this is when the proposal happened
The Peace Corps launched officially in March 1961, with the first volunteers departing for Ghana and Tanzania by August of that year.
- Focuses on the official launch in March 1961 and first departures in August 1961
- This addresses when the program was implemented, not when it was proposed
- Completely misses the 1960 campaign proposal timing that the question asks us to emphasize
During his 1960 presidential campaign, Senator John F. Kennedy proposed the Peace Corps, envisioning young Americans promoting peace and friendship in developing countries.
- Opens with During his 1960 presidential campaign, which directly emphasizes the timing of when it was first proposed
- Matches our prethinking perfectly by making the 1960 campaign timing prominent
- Includes Kennedy's vision, which connects to the proposal context
By the end of 1961, over 500 Peace Corps volunteers were serving in eight different countries, making it one of Kennedy's most successful initiatives.
- Focuses on end-of-1961 statistics and success assessment
- This is about the program's early results, not when it was proposed
- The timing mentioned (end of 1961) is completely different from the proposal timing
The Peace Corps, which became one of Kennedy's most enduring domestic policy successes, involved young Americans serving in developing countries.
- Mentions that it became successful but gives no timing information at all
- Fails to emphasize when the Peace Corps was proposed, which is the specific goal
- What trap this represents: Students might think mentioning success addresses the question, but the goal specifically asks for timing emphasis