Archaeologist: Although thin-walled pottery is better able to resist the damaging effects of thermal stress resulting from being placed over...
GMAT Two Part Analysis : (TPA) Questions
Archaeologist: Although thin-walled pottery is better able to resist the damaging effects of thermal stress resulting from being placed over a fire, such pottery is more prone to breaking during transport. We can therefore make predictions about pottery use by a group of people on the basis of a certain lifestyle characteristic of the group.
The archaeologist suggests that a certain type of prediction about a group can be made on the basis of the group having a certain type of characteristic. Indicate in the table, the possible characteristic and prediction that most strongly conform to the archaeologist's suggestion. Make only two selections, one in each column.
Phase 1: Owning the Dataset
Argument Analysis Table
| Passage Statement | Analysis & Implications |
| "thin-walled pottery is better able to resist the damaging effects of thermal stress resulting from being placed over a fire" |
|
| "such pottery is more prone to breaking during transport" |
|
| "We can therefore make predictions about pottery use by a group of people on the basis of a certain lifestyle characteristic" |
|
Key Patterns Identified
- Trade-off established: Better heat resistance vs. transport durability
- Causal relationship: Lifestyle characteristic → pottery choice
- Decision factor: Whether transport is important to the group
Phase 2: Question Analysis & Prethinking
Understanding What Each Part Asks
- Prediction column: What can we conclude about the group's pottery use?
- Characteristic column: What lifestyle trait allows us to make this prediction?
- Relationship: The characteristic must logically lead to the prediction
Valid Inferences (Prethinking)
- If a group is sedentary (doesn't move around), they can use thin-walled pots since transport breakage isn't a concern
- If a group is nomadic (moves frequently), they would use thick-walled pots to avoid breakage during transport
Phase 3: Answer Choice Evaluation
Analyzing Each Option:
"The group is sedentary rather than nomadic."
- What it claims: The group doesn't move around
- Fact Support: This is a lifestyle characteristic that affects transport needs
- Part Suitability: Perfect for Characteristic column
"The group has not discovered pottery."
- What it claims: The group doesn't use pottery at all
- Fact Support: None - the passage assumes pottery use
- Part Suitability: Neither column
"The group uses thin-walled pots."
- What it claims: The group chose the heat-resistant option
- Fact Support: Would make sense for groups that don't transport pottery
- Part Suitability: Perfect for Prediction column
"The group uses fire for warmth and protection"
- What it claims: The group uses fire (not specifically for cooking)
- Fact Support: Not mentioned in passage
- Part Suitability: Neither column
"The group uses thick-walled pots."
- What it claims: The group chose the transport-durable option
- Fact Support: Would make sense for mobile groups
- Part Suitability: Could work for Prediction column
Answer Selection
The archaeologist's logic flows like this: Since pottery faces a trade-off between heat resistance and transport durability, we can predict which type a group uses based on whether they need to transport it.
For the Characteristic column: We need "The group is sedentary rather than nomadic" - this is the lifestyle characteristic that determines transport needs.
For the Prediction column: We need "The group uses thin-walled pots" - sedentary groups don't worry about transport, so they can enjoy the cooking benefits of thin-walled pottery.
This pairing perfectly demonstrates the archaeologist's point: knowing a group's mobility (characteristic) lets us predict their pottery choice.