Literary scholar Dr. Elena Rodriguez recognizes that forecasting trends in publishing remains fundamentally unpredictable, but she _______ that intera...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Literary scholar Dr. Elena Rodriguez recognizes that forecasting trends in publishing remains fundamentally unpredictable, but she _______ that interactive digital narratives will ultimately supplant conventional print books as the primary form of storytelling. This theoretical position informs her ongoing investigation of virtual reality narrative platforms.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
hypothesizes
dismisses
demonstrates
disregards
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Literary scholar Dr. Elena Rodriguez recognizes that forecasting trends in publishing remains fundamentally unpredictable, but she" |
|
| [MISSING WORD/PHRASE] |
|
| "that interactive digital narratives will ultimately supplant conventional print books as the primary form of storytelling." |
|
| "This theoretical position informs her ongoing investigation of virtual reality narrative platforms." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite acknowledging the unpredictability of publishing trends, Dr. Rodriguez maintains a specific belief about digital narratives replacing print books.
Argument Flow: We learn Rodriguez recognizes forecasting is unpredictable, but she still takes some stance on digital narratives overtaking print books. This position then drives her current research into VR narrative platforms.
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 "but" signals a contrast between "forecasting remains fundamentally unpredictable" and whatever Rodriguez does about digital narratives
- Even though she acknowledges unpredictability, she still takes some position on this specific trend
- The missing word should show what kind of intellectual stance she takes - something that makes sense when you can't predict with certainty but still want to express a belief or theory about the future
- The final sentence calling it a "theoretical position" gives us another clue - this isn't something she's proven or demonstrated, but rather a theory or educated guess
- So the right answer should indicate she proposes or theorizes about this trend, despite acknowledging the general unpredictability of forecasting
hypothesizes
✓ Correct
- "Hypothesizes" means she proposes a theory or educated guess
- This fits perfectly with the contrast - she can't predict trends generally, but she still theorizes about this specific one
- Matches the final sentence calling this a "theoretical position"
dismisses
✗ Incorrect
- "Dismisses" means she rejects the idea
- This doesn't work with the contrast - the "but" suggests she does have a position, not that she rejects it
- Contradicts the final sentence about this position informing her research
demonstrates
✗ Incorrect
- "Demonstrates" means she proves or shows evidence
- This contradicts her recognition that forecasting is "fundamentally unpredictable"
- You can't demonstrate something unpredictable with certainty
disregards
✗ Incorrect
- "Disregards" means she ignores the idea
- Like "dismisses," this doesn't fit the "but" contrast structure
- Contradicts her ongoing investigation mentioned in the final sentence