To demonstrate that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be assessed without unearthing the pipes, engineer Aroba Saleem and...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
To demonstrate that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be assessed without unearthing the pipes, engineer Aroba Saleem and colleagues ________ the tendency of some metals' internal magnetic fields to alter under stress: the team showed that such alterations can be measured from a distance and can reveal concentrations of stress in the pipes.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
hypothesized
discounted
redefined
exploited
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'To demonstrate that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be assessed without unearthing the pipes,' |
|
| 'engineer Aroba Saleem and colleagues' |
|
| '______' |
|
| 'the tendency of some metals' internal magnetic fields to alter under stress:' |
|
| 'the team showed that such alterations can be measured from a distance and can reveal concentrations of stress in the pipes.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Researchers demonstrated a method to assess underground pipe integrity remotely by using magnetic field changes that occur when metals are under stress.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a research goal (assessing pipes without excavation), then describes how researchers did something with a known phenomenon (magnetic field alterations under stress), and concludes by showing this approach successfully allows remote measurement and stress detection in pipes.
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 analysis, we see the researchers had a goal (demonstrate remote pipe assessment) and they worked with a known phenomenon (magnetic field changes under stress)
- The missing word needs to show how they used this phenomenon to achieve their goal
- Since they successfully demonstrated remote measurement, they must have actively used or taken advantage of this magnetic property
- The relationship shows: Goal → [Action with phenomenon] → Successful results
- So the right answer should describe how they actively used or took advantage of the magnetic field tendency to achieve their demonstration goal
hypothesized
✗ Incorrect
- This means they theorized about or proposed the magnetic field tendency
- But the context shows they actually demonstrated something working, not just theorized about it
- The results ('the team showed') indicate actual experimentation, not hypothesis formation
discounted
✗ Incorrect
- This means they dismissed or ignored the magnetic field tendency
- This contradicts the entire logic - you can't demonstrate remote assessment by ignoring the very mechanism that makes it possible
- What trap this represents: Students might misread the sentence structure and think they're dismissing an old method
redefined
✗ Incorrect
- This means they changed the definition of the magnetic field tendency
- The passage suggests they used an existing, known tendency rather than changing how we define it
- Redefining something wouldn't directly lead to demonstrating a measurement technique
exploited
✓ Correct
- This means they took advantage of or made use of the magnetic field tendency
- Perfectly matches our prethinking - they used this known phenomenon to achieve their goal
- Creates the logical flow: had goal → used available tool → achieved successful demonstration
- The colon after 'stress' supports this - it introduces how they used this tendency for practical results