Despite facing significant institutional barriers as a first-generation college student from a low-income background, Maria Rodriguez did not consider...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Source: Prism
Craft and Structure
Words in Context
MEDIUM
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Notes
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Despite facing significant institutional barriers as a first-generation college student from a low-income background, Maria Rodriguez did not consider graduate school ______: after earning her bachelor's degree, Rodriguez secured a competitive research assistantship, published three papers as an undergraduate, and eventually became the youngest professor ever tenured in her department.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A
unattainable
B
worthwhile
C
prestigious
D
relevant
Solution
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Despite facing significant institutional barriers as a first-generation college student from a low-income background,' |
|
| 'Maria Rodriguez did not consider graduate school ______:' |
|
| 'after earning her bachelor's degree, Rodriguez secured a competitive research assistantship,' |
|
| 'published three papers as an undergraduate,' |
|
| 'and eventually became the youngest professor ever tenured in her department.' |
|
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 structure is: 'Despite barriers, Maria didn't consider graduate school ______: [then amazing achievements].'
- The colon signals that her achievements explain or justify her attitude
- Since her achievements show extraordinary success in academia, the missing word should create a logical relationship where her attitude makes sense given her accomplishments
Answer Choices Explained
A
unattainable
✓ Correct
- Creates perfect logical flow: despite barriers, she didn't consider grad school impossible to achieve
- Her remarkable achievements prove she was right to think it was achievable
B
worthwhile
✗ Incorrect
- Would mean she didn't think grad school was worth pursuing
- Makes no sense with her achievements
C
prestigious
✗ Incorrect
- Would mean she didn't view grad school as high-status
- Her achievements clearly show the academic path IS prestigious
D
relevant
✗ Incorrect
- Would mean she didn't think grad school applied to her situation
- Her success in academia proves grad school was highly relevant
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