The following text is from the 1913 story 'The King's Coin' by Emily Pauline Johnson, a Kanienkahagen (Mohawk) writer also...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from the 1913 story 'The King's Coin' by Emily Pauline Johnson, a Kanienkahagen (Mohawk) writer also known as Tekahionwake. Fox-Foot, a young Ojibwe man, is guiding a group of fur traders who are traveling by canoe and suspects that they are being followed.
At supper time, Fox-Foot would allow no fire to be built, no landing to be made, no trace of their passing to be left. They ate canned meat and marmalade, drank again of the stream and pushed on, until just at dusk they reached the edge of a long, still lake, with shores of granite and dense fir forest.
As used in the text, what does the word 'trace' most nearly mean?
Evidence
Blemish
Amount
Sketch
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "At supper time, Fox-Foot would allow no fire to be built, no landing to be made, no trace of their passing to be left." |
|
| "They ate canned meat and marmalade, drank again of the stream and pushed on" |
|
| "until just at dusk they reached the edge of a long, still lake, with shores of granite and dense fir forest." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Fox-Foot enforces strict precautions to avoid detection while traveling, ensuring the group leaves no signs of their presence.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Fox-Foot's cautious rules, demonstrates how the group implements these restrictions practically, and concludes with their arrival at their destination after this careful travel.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? The meaning of the word "trace" as it's used in this specific context
- What type of answer do we need? A synonym that fits the contextual meaning
- Any limiting keywords? "As used in the text" - we need the meaning that works in this specific passage, not just any definition of "trace"
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our analysis, Fox-Foot is being extremely cautious because he suspects they're being followed
- He doesn't want to leave any "trace of their passing"
- In this context, he's worried about leaving behind anything that would show others that his group had been there - any sign, mark, or evidence of their presence that could be discovered by whoever might be following them
- The right answer should mean evidence or a sign of their presence
Evidence
- "Evidence" fits perfectly with Fox-Foot's concern about being followed
- He doesn't want to leave any evidence that would show his group passed through
- This matches our prethinking about signs of their presence
Blemish
- "Blemish" means a mark that spoils appearance or a flaw
- Doesn't make logical sense - Fox-Foot isn't worried about making things look bad
- Misses the core idea of avoiding detection
Amount
- "Amount" refers to quantity or measurement
- Makes no grammatical or logical sense in this context
- "No amount of their passing" doesn't work as a meaningful phrase
Sketch
- "Sketch" means a rough drawing or brief description
- Doesn't fit - Fox-Foot isn't concerned about drawings being left behind
- This represents a trap where students might think of "trace" as in drawing, but that's a different meaning entirely