During the 1920s, the King Gillette corporation launched safety razors featuring replaceable blade technology that removed the necessity for blade...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
During the 1920s, the King Gillette corporation launched safety razors featuring replaceable blade technology that removed the necessity for blade sharpening or expert servicing. Because these razors offered significantly greater convenience compared to conventional straight razors, they experienced _______ market penetration: survey data from 1925 revealed that more than 85 percent of men in America had transitioned to the new product.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
reluctant
extensive
progressive
irregular
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "During the 1920s, the King Gillette corporation launched safety razors featuring replaceable blade technology that removed the necessity for blade sharpening or expert servicing." |
|
| "Because these razors offered significantly greater convenience compared to conventional straight razors," |
|
| "they experienced _______ market penetration:" |
|
| "survey data from 1925 revealed that more than 85 percent of men in America had transitioned to the new product." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: King Gillette's convenient new razor technology achieved widespread market adoption in the 1920s.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Gillette introduced convenient new razor technology, explains that this convenience made the razors much more appealing than traditional options, then indicates this led to some type of market penetration, and finally provides statistical evidence showing that over 85% of American men had adopted the product by 1925.
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 word we need must describe the type of market penetration that resulted from the razor's convenience
- Looking at our evidence, we know that over 85% of American men switched to this product by 1925
- This is a very high adoption rate that indicates the market penetration was widespread and comprehensive
- The missing word should capture the idea that the penetration was broad, wide-reaching, or thorough
reluctant
✗ Incorrect
- Reluctant means unwilling or hesitant
- This contradicts the 85% adoption rate, which shows enthusiastic uptake
extensive
✓ Correct
- Extensive means wide-reaching and comprehensive
- Perfectly matches the 85% adoption rate showing broad market penetration
progressive
✗ Incorrect
- Progressive means advancing gradually over time
- While this could describe gradual market growth, it does not capture the scale of penetration
irregular
✗ Incorrect
- Irregular means uneven or inconsistent
- Contradicts the consistent high adoption rate of 85% across American men