The following text describes David Chen during his first presentation to the city council.David approached the microphone to address the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The following text describes David Chen during his first presentation to the city council.
David approached the microphone to address the council about his community garden proposal. When he began speaking, his voice grew stronger and more confident with each sentence. A sense of satisfaction crossed his face as he noticed several council members nodding in agreement. He stood taller, appearing to discover a new side of himself as a public advocate. Though aware of the audience behind him, he focused entirely on his message. The feeling of making a real difference energized him in ways he had never experienced.
According to the text, what primarily accounts for David's growing confidence during his presentation?
His extensive preparation for the presentation
The positive feedback he observes from council members
His previous experience with public speaking
The importance of his community garden proposal
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "David approached the microphone to address the council about his community garden proposal." |
|
| "When he began speaking, his voice grew stronger and more confident with each sentence." |
|
| "A sense of satisfaction crossed his face as he noticed several council members nodding in agreement." |
|
| "He stood taller, appearing to discover a new side of himself as a public advocate." |
|
| "Though aware of the audience behind him, he focused entirely on his message." |
|
| "The feeling of making a real difference energized him in ways he had never experienced." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: David gains confidence during his presentation as he receives positive feedback from council members, leading to personal growth and a sense of purpose.
Argument Flow: The passage traces David's transformation from initial nervousness to growing confidence. The turning point occurs when he notices council members nodding in agreement, which gives him satisfaction and causes him to stand taller.
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 shows David's confidence building throughout his presentation
- The key moment is when he notices several council members nodding in agreement, which triggers his satisfaction and leads to him standing taller and discovering a new side of himself
- The right answer should identify the council members' positive response as the main factor that boosted his confidence
His extensive preparation for the presentation
- The passage never mentions David's preparation for the presentation
- We can only work with what's explicitly stated in the passage
The positive feedback he observes from council members
- This directly matches what we see in the passage about council members nodding in agreement
- The positive feedback triggers his satisfaction and leads to the physical changes and personal discovery
His previous experience with public speaking
- The passage describes this as David's first presentation to the city council, suggesting he doesn't have extensive public speaking experience
- Nothing in the text indicates prior experience as a source of his confidence
The importance of his community garden proposal
- While the proposal might be important to David personally, the passage doesn't suggest its importance is what builds his confidence during the presentation
- The confidence grows in response to the audience's reaction, not from the topic itself