The following text is from Dr. Elena Vasquez's 2019 research journal describing her return to a longtime study site in...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Dr. Elena Vasquez's 2019 research journal describing her return to a longtime study site in the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary.
The kelp forest beckons me back each season. Its towering fronds sway in greeting, and the familiar currents embrace my research vessel like an old companion welcoming me home.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
It demonstrates the researcher's sense of familiarity and connection with the study environment.
It suggests that the researcher feels uncertain about returning to this location.
It indicates that the researcher has difficulty navigating the marine sanctuary.
It conveys the researcher's professional relationships with fellow scientists.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The kelp forest beckons me back each season." |
|
| "Its towering fronds sway in greeting, and the familiar currents embrace my research vessel like an old companion welcoming me home." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The researcher feels a deep, personal connection to her marine research site.
Argument Flow: The passage first establishes that the researcher returns regularly to this kelp forest, then uses personification to show how this environment feels like a welcoming, familiar companion to her.
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 sentence uses personification - it makes the kelp fronds and currents seem like they're greeting and embracing the researcher like an old friend
- This literary technique shows us how comfortable and at home the researcher feels in this environment
- The language choices all point to familiarity, warmth, and personal connection rather than anything professional or technical
- So the right answer should explain that this sentence demonstrates the researcher's personal, emotional connection to this study site
It demonstrates the researcher's sense of familiarity and connection with the study environment.
✓ Correct
- This matches our analysis perfectly - the personification language directly shows familiarity and connection
It suggests that the researcher feels uncertain about returning to this location.
✗ Incorrect
- This choice suggests uncertainty, but the language does the opposite - words like "familiar" and "old companion" indicate comfort and certainty, not uncertainty
It indicates that the researcher has difficulty navigating the marine sanctuary.
✗ Incorrect
- Nothing in the underlined sentence mentions navigation or difficulty - the description focuses on emotional connection, not practical challenges
It conveys the researcher's professional relationships with fellow scientists.
✗ Incorrect
- The sentence describes the researcher's relationship with the environment, not with other scientists