Art historians had long disputed the authenticity of a Renaissance painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, but a team of...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Art historians had long disputed the authenticity of a Renaissance painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, but a team of experts led by conservator Maria Constanza established the work's genuineness by _____ that the painting's materials and techniques match those documented in da Vinci's workshop records.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
confirming
assuming
demanding
dismissing
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Art historians had long disputed the authenticity of a Renaissance painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci,' |
|
| 'but a team of experts led by conservator Maria Constanza established the work's genuineness by' |
|
| [MISSING WORD/PHRASE] |
|
| 'that the painting's materials and techniques match those documented in da Vinci's workshop records.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Expert conservators resolved a long-standing dispute about a da Vinci painting's authenticity by using evidence from the artist's documented workshop practices.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from controversy to resolution. It establishes that there was disagreement about whether a painting was really by da Vinci, then shows how experts settled the question by using concrete evidence from da Vinci's own records to verify the artwork's authenticity.
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 missing word needs to describe what the experts did with the evidence that the materials matched da Vinci's records
- We know they established the work's genuineness - so they proved it was real
- The word should indicate they used the matching evidence to verify or prove the painting's authenticity
- The logical relationship is: they proved it was genuine BY doing something that showed the evidence matched
confirming
✓ Correct
- Confirming means to verify or establish something as true
- This fits perfectly - the experts established genuineness by confirming that the evidence matched da Vinci's records
- Shows they actively verified the match between painting and records to prove authenticity
assuming
✗ Incorrect
- Assuming means taking something for granted without proof
- This contradicts the logical flow - experts would not establish genuineness by assuming evidence
- This is a trap for students who might think assuming sounds academic, but it actually means accepting without verification
demanding
✗ Incorrect
- Demanding means to insist on or require something
- Makes no logical sense - you cannot establish authenticity by demanding that evidence matches
- This choice does not fit the context of verification and proof
dismissing
✗ Incorrect
- Dismissing means to reject or disregard
- This is backwards - the experts used the matching evidence to prove genuineness, they did not dismiss it
- Contradicts the entire logical flow of the sentence