While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia.The city's population is 907,802.Ulaanbaatar...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia.
- The city's population is 907,802.
- Ulaanbaatar contains 31.98 percent of Mongolia's population.
- Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam.
- The city's population is 7,781,631.
- Hanoi contains 8.14 percent of Vietnam's population.
The student wants to emphasize the relative sizes of the two capitals' populations. Which choice most effectively uses information from the given sentences to emphasize the relative sizes of the two capitals' populations?
Mongolia's capital is Ulaanbaatar, which has \(907,802\) people, and Vietnam's capital is Hanoi, which has \(7,781,631\) people.
Comparing Vietnam and Mongolia, \(7,781,631\) is \(8.14\) percent of Vietnam's population, and \(907,802\) is \(31.98\) percent of Mongolia's.
Even though Hanoi (population \(7,781,631\)) is larger than Ulaanbaatar (population \(907,802\)), Ulaanbaatar accounts for more of its country's population.
The populations of the capitals of Mongolia and Vietnam are \(907,802\) (Ulaanbaatar) and \(7,781,631\) (Hanoi), respectively.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia. |
|
| The city's population is 907,802. |
|
| Ulaanbaatar contains 31.98 percent of Mongolia's population. |
|
| Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. |
|
| The city's population is 7,781,631. |
|
| Hanoi contains 8.14 percent of Vietnam's population. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The notes present population data for two capital cities in both absolute numbers and as percentages of their respective countries.
Argument Flow: The notes systematically provide information about each capital - first identifying the city and country, then giving absolute population, then percentage of national population. This creates parallel data sets that enable comparison from multiple angles.
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 data, there are two interesting ways to think about 'relative sizes':
- Absolute comparison: Hanoi (7.8M) is much larger than Ulaanbaatar (907K)
- Relative to country size: Ulaanbaatar represents 32% of Mongolia vs. Hanoi's 8% of Vietnam
- The most effective emphasis would highlight this contrast - that while one city is bigger in absolute terms, the other is relatively more significant within its own country
- This creates a more nuanced and interesting comparison than just stating the raw numbers
- So the right answer should present this counterintuitive relationship where absolute size and relative importance within each country tell different stories
Mongolia's capital is Ulaanbaatar, which has \(907,802\) people, and Vietnam's capital is Hanoi, which has \(7,781,631\) people.
✗ Incorrect
- Simply lists the absolute populations of both cities
- Doesn't emphasize any meaningful comparison or relationship
- Misses the opportunity to highlight what's interesting about these numbers
Comparing Vietnam and Mongolia, \(7,781,631\) is \(8.14\) percent of Vietnam's population, and \(907,802\) is \(31.98\) percent of Mongolia's.
✗ Incorrect
- Presents the data in a confusing way by leading with the larger number
- Doesn't create a clear comparison or emphasis
- The structure makes it harder to understand the relationship between the cities
Even though Hanoi (population \(7,781,631\)) is larger than Ulaanbaatar (population \(907,802\)), Ulaanbaatar accounts for more of its country's population.
✓ Correct
- Creates a clear contrast using 'Even though' to highlight the counterintuitive relationship
- Shows both absolute size (Hanoi is larger) and relative importance (Ulaanbaatar accounts for more of its country)
- Most effectively emphasizes the relative sizes by presenting the surprising comparison
The populations of the capitals of Mongolia and Vietnam are \(907,802\) (Ulaanbaatar) and \(7,781,631\) (Hanoi), respectively.
✗ Incorrect
- Like Choice A, just presents raw population figures
- Uses formal language ('respectively') but doesn't create any emphasis or comparison
- Fails to highlight what's interesting about these relative sizes