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GMAT-Prep RC: Final solution at one place:

Maps made by non-Native Americans to depict Native American land tenure, resources, and population distributions appeared almost as early as Europeans' first encounters with Native Americans and took many forms: missionaries' field sketches, explorers' drawings, and surveyors' maps, as well as maps rendered in connection with treaties involving land transfers. Most existing maps of Native American lands are reconstructions that are based largely on archaeology, oral reports, and evidence gathered from observers' accounts in letters, diaries, and official reports; accordingly, the accuracy of these maps is especially dependent on the mapmakers' own interpretive abilities.

Many existing maps also reflect the 150-year role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in administering tribal lands. Though these maps incorporate some information gleaned directly from Native Americans, rarely has Native American cartography contributed to this official record, which has been compiled, surveyed, and authenticated by non-Native Americans. Thus our current cartographic record relating to Native American tribes and their migrations and cultural features, as well as territoriality and contemporary trust lands, reflects the origins of the data, the mixed purposes for which the maps have been prepared, and changes both in United States government policy and in non-Native Americans' attitudes toward an understanding of Native Americans.

Which of the following best describes the content of the passage?
(A) A chronology of the development of different methods for mapping Native American lands
(B) A discussion of how the mapmaking techniques of Native Americans differed from those of Europeans
(C) An argument concerning the present-day uses to which historical maps of Native American lands are put
(D) An argument concerning the nature of information contained in maps of Native American lands
(E) A proposal for improving the accuracy of maps of Native American lands

Key Takeaways from the passage...

1. The author is primarily talking about the Non-Native American maps that depict Native American lands
2. S/he mentions the origins of the information used to make the maps
3. S/he mentions that the map creators used interpretive abilities rather than firsthand information to create the maps

Check the quoted text below:

"Thus (denotes logical conclusion) our current cartographic record relating to Native American tribes and their migrations and cultural features, as well as territoriality and contemporary trust lands, reflects the origins of the data, the mixed purposes for which the maps have been prepared, and changes both in United States government policy and in non-Native Americans' attitudes toward an understanding of Native Americans."

The author doesn't put forward any proposal / recommendation / opinion / suggestion etc. (Option D).

So the passage does contain a conclusion drawn from the facts. This can't be called a chronology (option A) or a discussion (option B).

Also, the present-day use of the maps is not discussed at all (option C).

The key takeaways clear suggest that option (D) is the right answer.

_________________
Sandeep Gupta,
Director, Ivy-GMAT
Bangalore, India
http://ivy-gmat.blogspot.com
GMAT Scores: 800, 770. Minimum Quant: 51; Minimum Verbal: 45 (99th percentile)