Dr. Martinez directs a team of botanical researchers investigating uncommon orchid species within Costa Rica's mountainous cloud forest regions. Acros...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Dr. Martinez directs a team of botanical researchers investigating uncommon orchid species within Costa Rica's mountainous cloud forest regions. Across a span of fifteen years, her research group has gathered specimens representing more than 200 orchid varieties that had never been catalogued before. The laboratory facility currently maintains these precious samples within specially designed climate-regulated storage systems, methodically _______ them to enable upcoming botanists to perform genetic studies many decades into the future.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
storing
displaying
shipping
sketching
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Dr. Martinez directs a team of botanical researchers investigating uncommon orchid species within Costa Rica's mountainous cloud forest regions." |
|
| "Across a span of fifteen years, her research group has gathered specimens representing more than 200 orchid varieties that had never been catalogued before." |
|
| "The laboratory facility currently maintains these precious samples within specially designed climate-regulated storage systems, methodically" |
|
| "them to enable upcoming botanists to perform genetic studies many decades into the future." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Martinez's research team has collected rare orchid specimens over fifteen years and is methodically preserving them for future genetic research.
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 missing word needs to describe what the lab is methodically doing with the specimens in climate-controlled storage
- The context strongly suggests long-term preservation for future scientific use
storing
✓ Correct
- "Storing" fits perfectly with the climate-regulated storage systems mentioned and supports the goal of preserving specimens for future genetic studies
displaying
✗ Incorrect
- "Displaying" doesn't align with the context of long-term preservation for research
shipping
✗ Incorrect
- "Shipping" contradicts maintaining specimens in the laboratory facility
sketching
✗ Incorrect
- "Sketching" doesn't connect to maintaining actual specimens in storage systems