The following text is adapted from Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest.CECILY: Have we got to part?ALGERNON:...

GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions

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Craft and Structure

Words in Context

HARD

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The following text is adapted from Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest.

CECILY: Have we got to part?

ALGERNON: I am afraid so. It's a very painful parting.

CECILY: It is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time. The absence of old friends one can endure with equanimity. But even a momentary separation from anyone to whom one has just been introduced is almost unbearable.

As used in the text, what does the word 'endure' most nearly mean?

Regret

Persist

Tolerate

Encourage

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Passage Analysis Table

Text from Passage	Analysis
Have we got to part?	What it says: Cecily asks = must separate? What it does: Introduces the topic of separation What it is: Opening question/context
I am afraid so. It's a very painful parting.	What it says: Algernon confirms + says = painful What it does: Confirms separation is necessary and establishes it as difficult What it is: Response/acknowledgment
It is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time.	What it says: Separating from new acquaintances = always painful What it does: Explains why their separation is painful What it is: General statement/explanation
The absence of old friends one can endure with equanimity.	What it says: Missing old friends = bearable w/ calm What it does: Contrasts with what we just read about new acquaintances What it is: Contrasting claim
But even a momentary separation from anyone to whom one has just been introduced is almost unbearable.	What it says: Brief separation from new people = nearly unbearable What it does: Emphasizes the contrast by restating the difficulty with new acquaintances What it is: Reinforcing contrast

Main Point: Cecily expresses the paradox that separating from people we've just met is more painful than being apart from long-time friends.

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

What's being asked? The meaning of the word 'endure' as it appears in this specific context.

What type of answer do we need?

Question Characterization:

Content Genre: Historical Literature
Content Format: Text-only
Question Type: Words in Context
Language Complexity: Moderate

Any limiting keywords? N/A

Step 3: Prethink the Answer

From our analysis, 'endure' appears in: 'The absence of old friends one can endure with equanimity.'
The key context clues are 'with equanimity' (meaning with calmness/composure) and the contrast being set up
Cecily is saying that while separation from new people is 'almost unbearable,' the absence of old friends is something we can handle calmly
The word 'endure' here means to bear, handle, or put up with something that might otherwise be difficult

Answer Choices Explained

Regret

Regret
✗ Incorrect

This suggests feeling sorry about something
The passage shows Cecily can handle old friends' absence 'with equanimity' (calmly), not that she regrets it
Doesn't fit the contrast about what we can bear versus what's unbearable

Persist

Persist
✗ Incorrect

This means to continue despite difficulties
Wrong part of speech and wrong meaning for this context

Tolerate

Tolerate
✓ Correct

This means to bear or put up with something
Fits perfectly with 'with equanimity'—we can tolerate old friends' absence calmly
Matches the contrast: new separations are 'unbearable' while old friends' absence is tolerable

Encourage

Encourage
✗ Incorrect

This means to support or promote something
Makes no sense in context—Cecily isn't saying we encourage the absence of old friends

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