As an undergraduate researcher in anthropology, Jennifer C. Chen contributed to a groundbreaking study challenging the accepted view that among...

GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions

Source: Official

Craft and Structure

Words in Context

HARD

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Notes

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As an undergraduate researcher in anthropology, Jennifer C. Chen contributed to a groundbreaking study challenging the accepted view that among prehistoric peoples, female participation in hunting was ______. The research team's review of data from late Pleistocene and early Holocene burials in the Americas revealed that, in fact, as many as half of the hunters in those populations were female.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

inevitable

satisfactory

negligible

commonplace

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table

Text from Passage	Analysis
'As an undergraduate researcher in anthropology, Jennifer C. Chen contributed to a groundbreaking study'	What it says: Chen = undergrad researcher, contributed to breakthrough study in anthro What it does: Introduces the researcher and establishes the study's significance What it is: Background context
'challenging the accepted view that among prehistoric peoples, female participation in hunting was'	What it says: Study challenges accepted view about prehistoric female hunting participation What it does: Explains what the study challenged What it is: Setup for contrast
'______'	What it is: Missing word describing the accepted view of female hunting participation
'The research team's review of data from late Pleistocene and early Holocene burials in the Americas revealed that,'	What it says: Team reviewed burial data from specific time periods in Americas What it does: Introduces the evidence that contradicts the accepted view What it is: Evidence setup
'in fact, as many as half of the hunters in those populations were female.'	What it says: ~50% of hunters = female What it does: Presents the surprising finding that contradicts expectations What it is: Key evidence/revelation

Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements

Main Point: Jennifer Chen contributed to research that challenged the conventional belief about prehistoric female hunting participation by revealing that women made up approximately half of the hunters in ancient American populations.

Argument Flow: The passage introduces a researcher who participated in a groundbreaking study. This study challenged an accepted belief about how much prehistoric women participated in hunting. The evidence from ancient burial sites in the Americas revealed that, contrary to expectations, about half of the hunters were actually female.

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 key insight is in the logical flow: if a study 'challenged' the accepted view by showing that half the hunters were female, then the accepted view must have been that female participation was very low or minimal
The word we're looking for should convey that the accepted view was that women barely participated in hunting at all
The right answer should describe female hunting participation as being viewed as very small, minimal, or essentially nonexistent, since discovering that women made up half the hunters would indeed be surprising and challenge such a view

Answer Choices Explained

inevitable

inevitable
✗ Incorrect

This suggests female participation was seen as unavoidable or certain to happen
This doesn't make logical sense - if participation was viewed as inevitable, finding that half were female wouldn't be challenging or surprising
The logic is backwards - the findings support rather than challenge this view

satisfactory

satisfactory
✗ Incorrect

This suggests the level of female participation was seen as adequate or acceptable
Again, this doesn't fit the challenging context - if the accepted view was that participation was satisfactory, discovering high female participation wouldn't be groundbreaking

negligible

negligible
✓ Correct

This means the accepted view was that female participation was so small as to be insignificant or essentially nonexistent
This perfectly sets up the contrast - if people thought female hunting participation was negligible, then discovering that half the hunters were female would indeed be groundbreaking and challenge that view
The logic flows perfectly: accepted view (minimal participation) → challenging evidence (50% participation) → groundbreaking study

commonplace

commonplace
✗ Incorrect

This suggests female participation was viewed as ordinary or typical
Like the other incorrect choices, this fails to create the necessary contrast
If female hunting participation was already seen as commonplace, the 50% finding wouldn't be surprising or challenging

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