In education researcher Dr. Sarah Chen's studies, students exposed to recordings of collaborative peer discussions during independent work time proved...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
In education researcher Dr. Sarah Chen's studies, students exposed to recordings of collaborative peer discussions during independent work time proved most ______. These students were significantly more likely than control groups to initiate study partnerships and seek peer feedback. This suggests that auditory exposure to collaborative learning may foster interactive academic behaviors.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
distracted
engaged
comfortable
overwhelmed
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'In education researcher Dr. Sarah Chen's studies, students exposed to recordings of collaborative peer discussions during independent work time proved most _____.' |
|
| 'These students were significantly more likely than control groups to initiate study partnerships and seek peer feedback.' |
|
| 'This suggests that auditory exposure to collaborative learning may foster interactive academic behaviors.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[RESEARCH SETUP] Chen's study: students exposed to peer discussion recordings → [MISSING DESCRIPTOR - blank to fill] → [EVIDENCE] These students more likely to: initiate study partnerships & seek peer feedback → [CONCLUSION] Auditory exposure → fosters interactive behaviors
Main Point: Research shows that listening to collaborative peer discussions makes students more interactive in their academic behaviors.
Argument Flow: The passage presents research findings where students exposed to collaborative discussions showed a particular quality (the blank), then provides specific evidence of their increased collaborative behaviors, and concludes with the broader implication about how auditory exposure promotes interaction.
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 word must describe how students 'proved' after being exposed to peer discussion recordings
- Looking at our passage analysis, we know these students were 'significantly more likely than control groups to initiate study partnerships and seek peer feedback'
- This shows they became more interactive, participatory, and involved in collaborative learning behaviors
- So the right answer should describe students as being more interactive or participatory - a word that captures their increased willingness to collaborate and seek feedback
distracted
✗ Incorrect
- 'Distracted' suggests the students lost focus or became unfocused
- This contradicts the evidence - students who initiate partnerships and seek feedback are showing more focus, not less
engaged
✓ Correct
- 'Engaged' perfectly captures students who actively initiate partnerships and seek feedback
- This matches our prethinking - engaged students are interactive and participatory
- The evidence directly supports this: seeking partnerships and feedback are hallmarks of engaged learning
comfortable
✗ Incorrect
- 'Comfortable' is too narrow and passive - it doesn't capture the active behaviors described
- While students might feel comfortable, this doesn't explain why they'd be more likely to initiate partnerships and seek feedback
overwhelmed
✗ Incorrect
- 'Overwhelmed' suggests students felt stressed or unable to cope
- This contradicts the evidence showing increased positive collaborative behaviors