The following text is from a 2019 report on academic conferences. The text describes a gathering of early-career researchers.The hallway...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from a 2019 report on academic conferences. The text describes a gathering of early-career researchers.
The hallway conversations revealed a troubling pattern. After nearly every presentation, researchers would seek out colleagues to elaborate on points they felt had been inadequately expressed from the podium. During the actual talks, these same scholars had appeared confident and well-prepared, yet their attempts to convey complex findings often fell short of their intentions. The disconnect was particularly evident in how they described their methodology - what seemed clear in their minds emerged as confusing explanations that left audiences puzzled rather than enlightened.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portions in the text as a whole?
To emphasize the extent of researchers' struggles to communicate their work effectively
To highlight the competitive nature of researchers' presentations at academic conferences
To demonstrate researchers' inexperience with the technical aspects of their studies
To draw attention to researchers' concerns about the quality of conference organization
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The hallway conversations revealed a troubling pattern." |
|
| "After nearly every presentation, researchers would seek out colleagues to elaborate on points they felt had been inadequately expressed from the podium." |
|
| "During the actual talks, these same scholars had appeared confident and well-prepared, yet their attempts to convey complex findings often fell short of their intentions." |
|
| "The disconnect was particularly evident in how they described their methodology - what seemed clear in their minds emerged as confusing explanations that left audiences puzzled rather than enlightened." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Early-career researchers at academic conferences struggle significantly with effectively communicating their complex research, despite appearing confident and well-prepared.
Argument Flow: The passage opens by identifying a troubling communication pattern, then describes the specific behavior this creates, contrasts researchers confident appearance with their actual communication failures, and concludes with concrete evidence of this disconnect.
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, the underlined portions work together to build a case about researchers communication struggles
- They should show the extent of the communication problem and demonstrate the gap between appearance and reality
- The right answer should explain how these portions emphasize the severity and scope of researchers communication difficulties
To emphasize the extent of researchers' struggles to communicate their work effectively
✓ Correct
- This matches our prethinking perfectly
- The underlined portions do emphasize how extensive the communication struggles are
- "Troubling pattern," "nearly every presentation," "fell short," and "left audiences puzzled" all highlight the scope and severity of the problem
To highlight the competitive nature of researchers' presentations at academic conferences
✗ Incorrect
- The passage focuses on communication effectiveness, not competition between researchers
- Nothing in the underlined portions suggests researchers are competing with each other
To demonstrate researchers' inexperience with the technical aspects of their studies
✗ Incorrect
- The passage indicates researchers are knowledgeable about their studies
- The problem is not technical inexperience but rather communication skills
- This represents a trap where students might confuse communication struggles with knowledge gaps
To draw attention to researchers' concerns about the quality of conference organization
✗ Incorrect
- The underlined portions focus on researchers communication abilities, not conference organization quality
- No mention of structural or organizational conference issues