Botanist Al Kovaleski has pointed out that maple trees already thrive in a wide variety of climates and thus may...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Botanist Al Kovaleski has pointed out that maple trees already thrive in a wide variety of climates and thus may _______ changes in climate better than some other tree species do. The alterations maples may undergo in response to a changing climate are likely to be relatively small and easily achieved.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
relocate from
refer to
originate from
adapt to
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Botanist Al Kovaleski has pointed out that maple trees already thrive in a wide variety of climates' |
|
| [MISSING WORD/PHRASE] |
|
| 'and thus may _____ changes in climate better than some other tree species do.' |
|
| 'The alterations maples may undergo in response to a changing climate are likely to be relatively small and easily achieved.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Maple trees are better equipped to handle climate changes than other tree species because they already thrive in diverse climates.
Argument Flow: The passage presents an expert's observation that maples already succeed in various climates, uses this as evidence to conclude they'll handle climate changes better than other species, and supports this conclusion by explaining that any changes maples need to make will be minor and manageable.
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 logic flows like this: Since maples already thrive in many different climates, they should be able to [do something] with climate changes better than other trees
- The next sentence tells us that any changes maples make will be small and easy, which suggests they can adjust or modify themselves without much difficulty
- So the right answer should describe maples' ability to successfully respond to or adjust to climate changes, taking advantage of their existing flexibility with different climates
relocate from
- 'Relocate from' suggests moving away from climate changes
- This doesn't make logical sense - we're talking about how trees respond to changing conditions where they are, not about trees moving to different locations
- Contradicts the evidence that maples will undergo 'alterations' in response to climate change
refer to
- 'Refer to' means to mention or point toward something
- Trees don't 'refer to' climate changes - this doesn't describe any meaningful biological response
- Completely misses the logical connection between thriving in various climates and responding to climate change
originate from
- 'Originate from' means to come from or have as a source
- This would suggest climate changes come from maples, which makes no logical sense
- Reverses the cause-and-effect relationship described in the passage
adapt to
- 'Adapt to' means to adjust or modify in response to new conditions
- This perfectly matches the logical flow: maples' existing success in various climates means they can adjust to climate changes
- Connects directly to the evidence about 'alterations' - adaptations are exactly the small changes mentioned