The following text is from a memoir about competitive debate. The author describes preparing for a regional tournament.Before the final...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The following text is from a memoir about competitive debate. The author describes preparing for a regional tournament.
Before the final round began, I reviewed my coach's instructions one last time. "When you approach the podium," she had said, "focus on establishing eye contact with the judges immediately. This will help you project confidence from the start." Standing at the back of the room, I took her words to heart. I walked forward deliberately, looked directly at each judge, and began my opening statement.
According to the text, what does the author do when walking to the podium?
She follows her coach's guidance about projecting confidence.
She reflects on the importance of winning the tournament.
She reviews her prepared arguments one final time.
She observes the other competitors in the room.
I'll solve this step by step, following the systematic process to help you understand exactly how to approach Central Ideas and Details questions.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Before the final round began, I reviewed my coach's instructions one last time." |
|
| "'When you approach the podium,' she had said, 'focus on establishing eye contact with the judges immediately.'" |
|
| "This will help you project confidence from the start." |
|
| "Standing at the back of the room, I took her words to heart." |
|
| "I walked forward deliberately, looked directly at each judge, and began my opening statement." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The author follows her coach's specific advice about establishing eye contact with judges to project confidence when approaching the podium.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from preparation (reviewing instructions) to recalling the specific guidance (eye contact for confidence) to the author's implementation of that advice in the actual moment.
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 passage clearly describes what the author does when approaching the podium: she walks deliberately and looks directly at each judge
- This action directly implements the coach's advice about establishing eye contact to project confidence
- The right answer should capture this connection between the coach's instruction and the author's behavior
She follows her coach's guidance about projecting confidence.
✓ Correct
- This perfectly captures what we see in the passage: the author "took her words to heart" and then "walked forward deliberately, looked directly at each judge"
- This directly matches our prethinking about following the coach's advice about eye contact and confidence
She reflects on the importance of winning the tournament.
✗ Incorrect
- The passage shows the author thinking about tournament preparation, not specifically about winning
- The focus is on implementing technique (eye contact), not on outcomes or victory
She reviews her prepared arguments one final time.
✗ Incorrect
- The author reviews instructions before the final round, not while walking to the podium
- The passage clearly separates the review phase from the walking phase
She observes the other competitors in the room.
✗ Incorrect
- No mention of observing competitors in the passage
- The author's attention is entirely focused on the judges, as instructed by the coach