The province of Xoconochco was situated on the Pacific coast, hundreds of kilometers southeast of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The province of Xoconochco was situated on the Pacific coast, hundreds of kilometers southeast of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. Because Xoconochco's location within the empire was so ________, cacao and other trade goods produced there could reach the capital only after a long overland journey.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
unobtrusive
concealed
approximate
peripheral
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The province of Xoconochco was situated on the Pacific coast, hundreds of kilometers southeast of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire.' |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| 'cacao and other trade goods produced there could reach the capital only after a long overland journey.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Xoconochco's location within the Aztec Empire made transporting trade goods to the capital a lengthy process.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes where Xoconochco was located relative to the empire's capital, then uses a missing descriptor to characterize this location, leading to the consequence that trade goods required long overland journeys to reach Tenochtitlan.
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
- We know Xoconochco was hundreds of kilometers away from the capital
- We know this location characteristic caused trade goods to need a long overland journey
- The missing word needs to describe the location in a way that logically explains why transportation took so long
- The right answer should describe Xoconochco as being distant from the center of imperial power or at the margins of the empire
unobtrusive
✗ Incorrect
- 'Unobtrusive' means not conspicuous or not attracting attention
- This doesn't explain why transportation would take a long time
- The issue isn't about being noticed but about distance and location
concealed
✗ Incorrect
- 'Concealed' means hidden or kept secret
- Being hidden doesn't logically connect to needing a long overland journey
- The passage isn't about secrecy but about geographic challenges
approximate
✗ Incorrect
- 'Approximate' refers to rough estimates or being close to something
- This doesn't make logical sense in describing a location within an empire
- Actually contradicts the idea since approximate suggests closeness
peripheral
✓ Correct
- 'Peripheral' means at the edge or margin of something
- Perfectly explains why goods needed a long journey—Xoconochco was at the empire's periphery
- Connects logically: because it was at the edges of the empire, transportation to the central capital took a long time