Zines are small-scale, self-printed magazines. They have been around since the Black literary zine Fire!! was created in the 1920s....
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Zines are small-scale, self-printed magazines. They have been around since the Black literary zine Fire!! was created in the 1920s. Since then, zines have appealed to creators looking for an inexpensive form of expression to share with a select audience. Zine creators often mix art with social commentary and challenge mainstream culture. At first, the internet appeared to replace the zine, but this old form persists. Today, there are enough zines in the United States to support annual zine festivals. This suggests that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Zines are small-scale, self-printed magazines." |
|
| "They have been around since the Black literary zine Fire!! was created in the 1920s." |
|
| "Since then, zines have appealed to creators looking for an inexpensive form of expression to share with a select audience." |
|
| "Zine creators often mix art with social commentary and challenge mainstream culture." |
|
| "At first, the internet appeared to replace the zine, but this old form persists." |
|
| "Today, there are enough zines in the United States to support annual zine festivals." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite the rise of the internet, zines have survived and remain numerous enough to sustain their own festivals.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes what zines are and their historical appeal to creators seeking alternative expression. It then presents the key tension: while the internet initially seemed poised to replace zines, these traditional publications have actually persisted. The evidence for this persistence is that there are currently enough zines in the U.S. to support annual festivals dedicated to them.
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 key evidence we have is that despite the internet seeming like it would replace zines, zines have actually persisted and there are enough of them to support annual festivals
- This suggests that zines must still serve some purpose that the internet doesn't fulfill and that there's still demand for this form of expression
- This choice suggests online posting reaches larger audiences
- This contradicts the passage's evidence that zines persist despite internet alternatives
- The passage emphasizes zines appeal to creators wanting to reach "a select audience," not a larger one
- This directly matches our prethinking about zines continuing to have value
- The evidence that zines persist and support festivals logically suggests they remain meaningful to creators and audiences
- This is too broad and doesn't specifically relate to the evidence about zines
- The passage isn't about exploring new art forms but about an old form persisting
- This contradicts the passage's explicit statement that zines "challenge mainstream culture"
- Gets the relationship between zines and mainstream culture backwards