A widely prescribed treatment for chronic back pain has been bed rest combined with anti-inflammatory medication, based on the medical...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
A widely prescribed treatment for chronic back pain has been bed rest combined with anti-inflammatory medication, based on the medical community's long-held view that limiting movement allows injured tissues to heal properly. A clinical researcher wanted to investigate whether this established approach was indeed effective. She conducted a randomized controlled trial with 200 patients experiencing chronic back pain, dividing them into two groups: one received the standard bed rest treatment, while the other participated in supervised physical therapy and gradual activity increases. After twelve weeks, patients in the bed rest group showed significantly greater pain reduction and functional improvement compared to those in physical therapy. These results provided strong support for the conventional treatment approach and reinforced the medical community's confidence in bed rest protocols.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To examine the relationship between physical activity and chronic pain recovery
To report on a clinical trial that validates an established medical practice
To analyze different treatment options available for chronic back pain patients
To demonstrate the superiority of bed rest over physical therapy treatments
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A widely prescribed treatment for chronic back pain has been bed rest combined with anti-inflammatory medication, based on the medical community's long-held view that limiting movement allows injured tissues to heal properly." |
|
| "A clinical researcher wanted to investigate whether this established approach was indeed effective." |
|
| "She conducted a randomized controlled trial with 200 patients experiencing chronic back pain, dividing them into two groups: one received the standard bed rest treatment, while the other participated in supervised physical therapy and gradual activity increases." |
|
| "After twelve weeks, patients in the bed rest group showed significantly greater pain reduction and functional improvement compared to those in physical therapy." |
|
| "These results provided strong support for the conventional treatment approach and reinforced the medical community's confidence in bed rest protocols." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A clinical trial confirmed that the conventional bed rest treatment for chronic back pain is indeed effective, validating the medical community's long-standing approach.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with established medical practice, introduces a researcher's investigation into its effectiveness, describes a controlled study that compared this practice to an alternative treatment, reports positive results for the conventional approach, and concludes that these findings validate the established medical wisdom.
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 structure, we can see the passage follows a clear scientific reporting pattern
- The author presents an established medical practice, describes a study designed to test it, reports the results, and explains what those results mean
- The central purpose is to inform us about research that tested and confirmed a conventional medical approach
- Key elements the correct answer must have:
- References the clinical trial/research aspect
- Indicates this research validated or supported something established
- Captures that this is about reporting findings, not just analyzing options
To examine the relationship between physical activity and chronic pain recovery
✗ Incorrect
- This choice focuses on examining relationships between physical activity and pain recovery in general
- The passage doesn't broadly examine this relationship - it specifically tests whether bed rest works better than physical therapy
- Too broad and misses the validation aspect
To report on a clinical trial that validates an established medical practice
✓ Correct
- Captures the reporting function and identifies the validation aspect - the study confirmed the established practice works
- Matches our prethinking about reporting research that validated conventional medicine
To analyze different treatment options available for chronic back pain patients
✗ Incorrect
- Says the purpose is to "analyze different treatment options"
- The passage doesn't analyze multiple options - it tests one specific established treatment against one alternative
- Misses the key point that this research validated existing practice
To demonstrate the superiority of bed rest over physical therapy treatments
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses narrowly on demonstrating bed rest superiority over physical therapy
- This captures what the results showed, but not the main purpose of writing the text
- The broader purpose was validating established practice, not just showing one treatment beats another