When printing paper money for the colony of Pennsylvania in the 1730s, Benjamin Franklin—then a Philadelphia shop owner—took steps to...

GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions

Source: Practice Test

Expression of Ideas

Transitions

HARD

...

Notes

Post a Query

When printing paper money for the colony of Pennsylvania in the 1730s, Benjamin Franklin—then a Philadelphia shop owner—took steps to combat the circulation of counterfeit notes, such as weaving blue threads and muscovite (a reflective mineral) into the paper he used. ______ he stamped the notes with detailed imprints of sage leaves that proved difficult for forgers to replicate.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Specifically,

That said,

For example,

Moreover,

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table

Text from Passage	Analysis
'When printing paper money for the colony of Pennsylvania in the 1730s, Benjamin Franklin—then a Philadelphia shop owner—took steps to combat the circulation of counterfeit notes,'	What it says: Franklin 1730s PA → anti-counterfeit steps. What it does: Introduces Franklin's anti-counterfeiting efforts. What it is: Context/setup
'such as weaving blue threads and muscovite (a reflective mineral) into the paper he used.'	What it says: ex: blue threads + muscovite in paper. What it does: Provides specific example of his anti-counterfeiting methods. What it is: Example/evidence
'[MISSING TRANSITION]'	What it is: Missing logical connector
'he stamped the notes with detailed imprints of sage leaves that proved difficult for forgers to replicate.'	What it says: also stamped w/ sage leaf imprints (hard to copy). What it does: Presents another anti-counterfeiting method Franklin used. What it is: Additional evidence

Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements

Main Point: Benjamin Franklin used multiple innovative techniques to prevent counterfeiting of Pennsylvania's paper money in the 1730s.

Argument Flow: The passage establishes Franklin's role in printing colonial money, then describes his anti-counterfeiting efforts by first giving one specific example (threads and minerals), then presenting another method he used (sage leaf stamps).

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

The first sentence gives us Franklin's general goal (combating counterfeits) and one specific method (weaving materials into paper)
The sentence after the blank presents another specific method he used (stamping with sage leaves)
The transition needs to show that we're adding another example or method to the list of what Franklin did
So the right answer should signal that we're adding additional information about Franklin's anti-counterfeiting techniques

Answer Choices Explained

Specifically,

✗ Incorrect

This would suggest the sage leaf stamping is a more detailed explanation of the threading technique
But these are two completely different methods, not a specific elaboration of one method

That said,

✗ Incorrect

This creates a contrast, suggesting the sage leaf method somehow contradicts or qualifies the threading method
But both methods work toward the same goal of preventing counterfeiting

For example,

✗ Incorrect

This would suggest sage leaf stamping is an example of the threading technique
But sage leaf stamping is a separate, distinct anti-counterfeiting method

Moreover,

✓ Correct

This transition adds additional information, which perfectly fits the relationship here
We learned about one anti-counterfeiting method (threading), and now we're learning about another one (stamping)

Rate this Solution

Tell us what you think about this solution

...

Forum Discussions

Start a new discussion

Post

Previous Attempts

Loading attempts...