The following text is from a 2019 field research report. Dr. Martinez and her team conducted a biodiversity survey in...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from a 2019 field research report. Dr. Martinez and her team conducted a biodiversity survey in the Costa Rican rainforest. Over three weeks, the research team documented various species, recorded environmental data, and gathered soil samples for laboratory analysis.
As used in the text, what does the word "recorded" most nearly mean?
Documented
Repeated
Produced
Ignored
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The following text is from a 2019 field research report." |
|
| "Dr. Martinez and her team conducted a biodiversity survey in the Costa Rican rainforest." |
|
| "Over three weeks, the research team documented various species, recorded environmental data, and gathered soil samples for laboratory analysis." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Martinez and her team conducted a comprehensive three-week biodiversity survey in Costa Rica, collecting multiple types of scientific data.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the research context, identifies the main study, then details the specific data collection activities performed during the survey.
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
- Looking at our table, we see that "recorded environmental data" is part of a list of scientific data collection activities
- The research team was gathering information during their biodiversity survey
- In this scientific context, "recorded" refers to the act of systematically noting down or capturing the environmental data they observed and measured
- The word should convey the idea of preserving information in some systematic way
- So the right answer should mean something like "wrote down," "noted," or "captured in systematic form"
Documented
✓ Correct
- This perfectly captures the scientific meaning of systematically noting and preserving data
- Fits seamlessly with the research context and matches our prethinking about systematically capturing information
Repeated
✗ Incorrect
- This would mean they said the environmental data again, which makes no sense
- Doesn't fit the scientific context of data collection
Produced
✗ Incorrect
- This would mean they created or generated the environmental data
- Scientists collect and measure existing environmental conditions; they don't create them
Ignored
✗ Incorrect
- This is the opposite of what researchers do with data and contradicts the entire purpose of a scientific survey