While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.
- Whitney was frustrated by traditional museums' rejection of contemporary American artists.
- The museum was established to showcase living American artists and their works.
- The Whitney originally opened its doors in Greenwich Village in New York City.
- It featured galleries specifically designed for modern American sculpture and painting.
- The museum's innovative approach influenced how contemporary art was displayed nationwide.
The student wants to emphasize where the Whitney Museum first opened. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Originally opening its doors in Greenwich Village in New York City, the Whitney Museum was established by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to showcase living American artists.
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney founded the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1930 to address traditional museums' rejection of contemporary American artists.
The Whitney Museum's innovative galleries were specifically designed for modern American sculpture and painting, influencing display methods nationwide.
Founded in 1930, the Whitney Museum featured an approach that would influence how contemporary art was displayed across the country.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.' |
|
| 'Whitney was frustrated by traditional museums' rejection of contemporary American artists.' |
|
| 'The museum was established to showcase living American artists and their works.' |
|
| 'The Whitney originally opened its doors in Greenwich Village in New York City.' |
|
| 'It featured galleries specifically designed for modern American sculpture and painting.' |
|
| 'The museum's innovative approach influenced how contemporary art was displayed nationwide.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The Whitney Museum was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in Greenwich Village to showcase living American artists, featuring specially designed galleries that influenced how contemporary art was displayed nationwide.
Argument Flow: The notes establish the museum's founding details (who, when), explain the motivation (frustration with traditional museums), state its purpose (showcase living American artists), provide location information (Greenwich Village), describe its features (specialized galleries), and conclude with its broader impact (national influence on art display).
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The student wants to emphasize where the Whitney Museum first opened.
What type of answer do we need? A sentence that prominently features the location information (Greenwich Village, New York City) in a way that emphasizes this detail.
Any limiting keywords? 'Most effectively' means we need the choice that best accomplishes the goal of emphasizing location, and 'uses relevant information from the notes' means we can only include details that appear in the research notes.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- To emphasize WHERE the museum first opened, the correct answer should place the location information (Greenwich Village, New York City) in a prominent position, likely at the beginning of the sentence
- Use clear language that draws attention to the location detail
- Include other relevant information from the notes but structure it so the location remains the focus
- The right answer should lead with the location information and organize the rest of the sentence to support that emphasis
Originally opening its doors in Greenwich Village in New York City, the Whitney Museum was established by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to showcase living American artists.
✓ Correct
- Places location information at the very beginning: 'Originally opening its doors in Greenwich Village in New York City'
- The opening phrase structure emphasizes the location by making it the first thing we read
- Includes other relevant details (founder, purpose) but keeps them secondary to the location emphasis
- The word 'Originally' further reinforces the 'first opened' aspect the student wants to emphasize
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney founded the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1930 to address traditional museums' rejection of contemporary American artists.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses primarily on the founder and founding motivation rather than location
- Mentions 'Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney founded' and 'rejection of contemporary American artists' as the main emphasis
- Contains no location information at all, which completely fails to meet the student's goal
The Whitney Museum's innovative galleries were specifically designed for modern American sculpture and painting, influencing display methods nationwide.
✗ Incorrect
- Emphasizes the galleries and their national influence rather than location
- Focuses on 'innovative galleries' and 'influencing display methods nationwide'
- Contains no location information, so it doesn't address the student's goal of emphasizing where the museum first opened
Founded in 1930, the Whitney Museum featured an approach that would influence how contemporary art was displayed across the country.
✗ Incorrect
- Emphasizes the founding date (1930) and the museum's broader influence
- Focuses on 'Founded in 1930' and 'influence...across the country'
- Like B and C, completely omits any location information and fails to meet the student's stated goal