According to marine biologists studying coral reef ecosystems, biodiversity flourishes in protected areas where environmental stressors are minimized ...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
According to marine biologists studying coral reef ecosystems, biodiversity flourishes in protected areas where environmental stressors are minimized through careful habitat management, ultimately leading to healthier reef communities when these protective measures are _____.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
evaluated
implemented
maintained
documented
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| According to marine biologists studying coral reef ecosystems, biodiversity flourishes in protected areas where environmental stressors are minimized through careful habitat management |
|
| ultimately leading to healthier reef communities when these protective measures are |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture and Core Elements
Main Point: Marine biologists have found that coral reef biodiversity thrives in well-managed protected areas, leading to healthier reef communities under certain conditions.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a scientific finding about successful coral reef protection, then traces the causal chain from protective measures to biodiversity to reef health, ending with a condition that determines whether these positive outcomes actually occur.
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 blank needs to complete a condition - what must happen to these protective measures for the positive outcome of healthier reefs to occur?
- The logical relationship suggests we need something that ensures these protective measures continue to work over time
- The word should indicate that these measures need to be kept going or continued in some way for the reefs to stay healthy long-term
evaluated
- Simply assessing the protective measures does not directly cause healthier reef communities
- Evaluation is about gathering information, not ensuring the measures continue to work
implemented
- Implementation means putting measures in place initially
- The passage already indicates these measures exist and are working
maintained
- Maintained means kept up or continued over time
- This creates the logical connection: protective measures lead to ongoing maintenance which leads to sustained reduction of stressors and continued biodiversity resulting in healthier reef communities
documented
- Recording the measures does not directly lead to healthier reefs
- Documentation is administrative, not operational