Educational researchers have documented that when community members participate in local folk music traditions, these personal activities can _____ br...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Educational researchers have documented that when community members participate in local folk music traditions, these personal activities can _____ broader artistic engagement across the entire area. Studies indicate that neighborhood residents who observe these musical expressions develop stronger desires to master traditional melodies, which subsequently motivates them to inspire their relatives to join in cultural activities.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
stimulate
require
document
limit
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Educational researchers have documented that when community members participate in local folk music traditions, these personal activities can _______ broader artistic engagement across the entire area.' |
|
| 'Studies indicate that neighborhood residents who observe these musical expressions develop stronger desires to master traditional melodies, which subsequently motivates them to inspire their relatives to join in cultural activities.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Personal participation in local folk music traditions affects broader artistic engagement across the community through a chain reaction of inspiration.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a research finding about folk music's community impact, then provides evidence showing how this works through a domino effect where individuals who observe music develop learning desires and subsequently motivate their families to participate in cultural activities.
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 the relationship between personal folk music participation and broader community artistic engagement
- From our analysis, we see that the evidence describes a positive chain reaction - people observe music, develop learning desires, and then motivate family members to join cultural activities
- This suggests the personal activities have a positive, encouraging effect on broader engagement
- The right word should indicate that personal participation encourages, promotes, or increases broader artistic engagement across the community
stimulate
✓ Correct
- Means to encourage or promote growth and activity
- This perfectly captures how personal folk music participation encourages broader artistic engagement
- Matches our prethinking about a positive, encouraging relationship
- The evidence shows exactly this stimulation process: observation leads to desire, which leads to family motivation and cultural participation
require
✗ Incorrect
- Means to need or demand as necessary
- This suggests folk music participation makes broader engagement mandatory or essential
- The evidence doesn't support this - it shows encouragement and inspiration, not requirements
document
✗ Incorrect
- Means to record or provide written evidence
- This would mean personal activities record broader engagement, which makes no logical sense
- The passage is about researchers documenting effects, not the activities themselves doing documentation
limit
✗ Incorrect
- Means to restrict or constrain
- This suggests personal activities reduce broader engagement
- Completely contradicts the evidence showing increased desires and family motivation