The following text is from Maya Chen's 2019 essay about her high school experience. Chen reflects on her relationship with...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Maya Chen's 2019 essay about her high school experience. Chen reflects on her relationship with her favorite teacher, Ms. Rodriguez.
I watched as Ms. Rodriguez barely acknowledged my raised hand during class discussion, something that would have been unthinkable just a semester earlier. This shift in her attention stung deeply because she had been the one teacher who consistently called on me and seemed genuinely interested in my contributions. Now I felt invisible in the very class where I had once felt most valued.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text?
It explains why Ms. Rodriguez began ignoring Chen's attempts to participate in class.
It clarifies why the change in Ms. Rodriguez's behavior was particularly painful for Chen.
It provides an example of how Chen and Ms. Rodriguez typically interacted during class.
It describes the reason Chen stopped raising her hand in Ms. Rodriguez's class.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "I watched as Ms. Rodriguez barely acknowledged my raised hand during class discussion," |
|
| "something that would have been unthinkable just a semester earlier." |
|
| "This shift in her attention stung deeply because she had been the one teacher who consistently called on me and seemed genuinely interested in my contributions." |
|
| "Now I felt invisible in the very class where I had once felt most valued." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Chen feels particularly hurt by Ms. Rodriguez's current indifference because their relationship used to be so positive and supportive.
Argument Flow: Chen establishes the current problem (being ignored), provides historical context showing this is a dramatic change from the past, then explains why this shift is so emotionally painful by elaborating on how supportive Ms. Rodriguez used to be, and concludes by emphasizing the complete reversal of her classroom experience.
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 underlined portion provides a crucial contrast between past and present
- It tells us that Ms. Rodriguez used to consistently acknowledge Chen's participation
- This makes her current behavior of barely acknowledging Chen's raised hand so jarring and painful
- This historical context is essential because without it, we wouldn't understand why Chen feels so hurt
It explains why Ms. Rodriguez began ignoring Chen's attempts to participate in class.
✗ Incorrect
- This choice suggests the underlined portion explains Ms. Rodriguez's motivations
- The phrase doesn't tell us WHY Ms. Rodriguez started ignoring Chen - it only tells us that she used to acknowledge Chen regularly
It clarifies why the change in Ms. Rodriguez's behavior was particularly painful for Chen.
✓ Correct
- The phrase shows that Ms. Rodriguez used to consistently acknowledge Chen, creating a sharp contrast with the present
- This contrast directly explains why Chen finds the current situation so painful - it's the dramatic change that hurts
It provides an example of how Chen and Ms. Rodriguez typically interacted during class.
✗ Incorrect
- This choice treats the underlined portion as describing typical past interactions
- The phrase isn't providing an example of their interactions - it's establishing that regular acknowledgment was the norm
It describes the reason Chen stopped raising her hand in Ms. Rodriguez's class.
✗ Incorrect
- The underlined portion doesn't mention Chen stopping her hand-raising behavior at all
- It only establishes that Ms. Rodriguez's current lack of acknowledgment represents a change from the past