Examining training approaches for endurance athletes, Coach Martinez found that runners who focused on comfortable paces during early sessions showed...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Examining training approaches for endurance athletes, Coach Martinez found that runners who focused on comfortable paces during early sessions showed less ______ compared to those who incorporated challenging intervals from the start. Although easier workouts initially felt more manageable, athletes who embraced demanding training early achieved superior race times and cardiovascular fitness.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
determination
leadership
improvement
enthusiasm
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Examining training approaches for endurance athletes, Coach Martinez found that runners who focused on comfortable paces during early sessions showed less ______' |
|
| [MISSING WORD/PHRASE] |
|
| 'compared to those who incorporated challenging intervals from the start.' |
|
| 'Although easier workouts initially felt more manageable, athletes who embraced demanding training early achieved superior race times and cardiovascular fitness.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research shows that runners who start with challenging interval training achieve better results than those who begin with comfortable paces.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a research finding comparing two training approaches, leaving one element incomplete. It then contrasts the immediate experience with the ultimate outcomes, which helps us understand what the missing element should be.
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
- Based on our analysis, we need a word that describes something that comfortable-pace runners had less of compared to challenging-interval runners
- The second sentence tells us that demanding training early led to 'superior race times and cardiovascular fitness'
- This suggests the missing word should relate to performance gains or development
determination
determination
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests a mental quality or attitude
- The passage focuses on measurable results, not psychological qualities
leadership
leadership
✗ Incorrect
- This refers to guiding or directing others
- Nothing in the passage suggests the study measured leadership qualities
improvement
improvement
✓ Correct
- This directly relates to getting better at performance
- Matches perfectly with the evidence that challenging interval runners achieved 'superior race times and cardiovascular fitness'
- Creates the logical flow: comfortable pace = less improvement, challenging intervals = more improvement
enthusiasm
enthusiasm
✗ Incorrect
- This refers to excitement or eagerness
- The passage focuses on actual performance outcomes, not emotional responses to training