The following text is from chef Antoine Dubois's 2020 memoir Kitchen Chronicles. During the final hour before a major restaurant...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from chef Antoine Dubois's 2020 memoir Kitchen Chronicles. During the final hour before a major restaurant opening, he describes the intense preparation in the kitchen.
Every station buzzed with controlled urgency as we made final adjustments to sauces and garnishes. The months of menu planning and recipe testing had led to this moment. Staff moved with practiced precision, each knowing their role in the evening's success. As the clock approached opening time, my focus shifted to completing the preparations that would determine whether our grand opening would be triumph or disaster.
As used in the text, what does the word 'completing' most nearly mean?
Beginning
Postponing
Finishing
Critiquing
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Every station buzzed with controlled urgency as we made final adjustments to sauces and garnishes.' |
|
| 'The months of menu planning and recipe testing had led to this moment.' |
|
| 'Staff moved with practiced precision, each knowing their role in the evening's success.' |
|
| 'As the clock approached opening time, my focus shifted to completing the preparations' |
|
| 'that would determine whether our grand opening would be triumph or disaster.' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A chef describes the crucial final moments before a restaurant's grand opening, focusing on finishing the last critical preparations.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from the general busy atmosphere to the specific moment of truth, building tension around the chef's focus on finalizing everything before opening time.
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
- Looking at our passage analysis, we can see the chef is in the final moments before opening
- The context shows 'final adjustments,' 'opening time,' and preparations that will determine success or failure
- The word needs to describe what someone does with preparations when time is running out and everything must be ready
- The logical relationship here is about bringing tasks to their end point - getting everything finished and ready before the doors open to customers
- So the right answer should mean something like 'finishing' or 'bringing to an end' - focusing on getting all the final preparations done
Beginning
- This suggests starting the preparations
- Contradicts the context which clearly shows we're at the end stage with 'final adjustments' and 'opening time approaching'
Postponing
- This means delaying or putting off the preparations
- Makes no sense when opening time is approaching and success depends on these preparations
Finishing
- Perfectly matches the context of final moments before opening
- Aligns with 'final adjustments' and the time pressure of approaching opening
- Makes logical sense - the chef needs to finish all preparations before customers arrive
Critiquing
- This means evaluating or judging the preparations
- Doesn't fit the action-oriented context where the chef needs to get things done, not analyze them