During her graduate studies in the 1980s, Dr. Maria Santos _______ conventional archaeological approaches by implementing methods that integrated comp...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
During her graduate studies in the 1980s, Dr. Maria Santos _______ conventional archaeological approaches by implementing methods that integrated computational modeling and statistical analysis—techniques typically rejected by established faculty members. Santos's methodology was so innovative that obtaining financial support for her pioneering work on ancient settlement configurations proved extremely difficult.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
challenged
examined
adopted
obstructed
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "During her graduate studies in the 1980s, Dr. Maria Santos ________ conventional archaeological approaches" |
|
| "by implementing methods that integrated computational modeling and statistical analysis" |
|
| "techniques typically rejected by established faculty members" |
|
| "Santos's methodology was so innovative that obtaining financial support for her pioneering work on ancient settlement configurations proved extremely difficult." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Santos went against traditional archaeological methods by using innovative computational approaches that the academic establishment resisted.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Santos's opposition to conventional methods through her innovative computational approach, shows this opposition through faculty rejection of her techniques, and reinforces how radical her approach was through the funding difficulties she faced.
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
- From our analysis, we know Santos used computational methods that faculty "typically rejected" and her work was "so innovative" that funding was difficult
- This suggests Santos was going against or opposing conventional approaches rather than following them
- The word needs to show Santos took a position contrary to established methods
challenged
✓ Correct
- Shows Santos opposed conventional approaches by using new methods
- Matches the evidence that faculty rejected her techniques and she faced funding difficulties
- Creates perfect logical flow: challenged conventional methods → by using innovative techniques → that were typically rejected
examined
✗ Incorrect
- Simply studying conventional approaches doesn't match the opposition shown in the passage
- Doesn't explain why faculty would reject her work or why funding was difficult
adopted
✗ Incorrect
- Means she followed conventional approaches, which contradicts everything in the passage
- If she adopted conventional methods, faculty wouldn't reject them and funding wouldn't be difficult
obstructed
✗ Incorrect
- Means she blocked or hindered conventional approaches
- Too extreme - she developed alternative methods rather than actively blocking others' work