The following text is adapted from a 2019 workplace memoir. The author describes her experience as a new research assistant.During...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from a 2019 workplace memoir. The author describes her experience as a new research assistant.
During lunch breaks, I discovered the perfect spot on the third floor overlooking the main laboratory. Through the large windows, I could observe the senior researchers in their daily routines-hunched over microscopes, gesturing wildly during heated discussions, occasionally throwing their hands up in apparent frustration when experiments failed. The whole scene reminded me of a theatrical performance, complete with dramatic gestures and emotional peaks and valleys. I found myself returning to this observation post day after day, fascinated by the unscripted drama of scientific inquiry.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To describe an activity that the author finds captivating
To explain why the author chose a career in scientific research
To discuss the challenges facing senior researchers in laboratories
To give reasons why lunch breaks are important for workplace productivity
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "During lunch breaks, I discovered the perfect spot on the third floor overlooking the main laboratory." |
|
| "Through the large windows, I could observe the senior researchers in their daily routines—hunched over microscopes, gesturing wildly during heated discussions, occasionally throwing their hands up in apparent frustration when experiments failed." |
|
| "The whole scene reminded me of a theatrical performance, complete with dramatic gestures and emotional peaks and valleys." |
|
| "I found myself returning to this observation post day after day, fascinated by the unscripted drama of scientific inquiry." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The author describes discovering and becoming captivated by watching senior researchers work, finding their scientific routines as compelling as theater.
Argument Flow: The text moves from the author's initial discovery of a viewing spot to detailed observations of researcher behavior, then to her personal interpretation of these observations as theatrical drama, and finally to her confession of being so fascinated that she returns daily to watch.
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 text is fundamentally about the author's personal experience of discovery and fascination
- The correct answer must capture:
- This is about the author's personal activity/experience
- The activity involves observing/watching something
- The author finds this activity compelling or captivating
- The focus is on her emotional engagement
To describe an activity that the author finds captivating
✓ Correct
- Captures that this is about describing an activity (observing the researchers)
- Matches the author's emotional response - she's clearly captivated, returning "day after day, fascinated"
To explain why the author chose a career in scientific research
✗ Incorrect
- The text never mentions why the author chose scientific research as a career
- This represents the trap of assuming career motivations
To discuss the challenges facing senior researchers in laboratories
✗ Incorrect
- While the text mentions researcher frustration, this isn't the main focus
- The emphasis is on her fascination, not on the researchers' difficulties
To give reasons why lunch breaks are important for workplace productivity
✗ Incorrect
- The text doesn't make general claims about lunch breaks or workplace productivity
- This represents focusing on an incidental opening detail