Local bookstores struggled to compete with online retailers throughout the 2010s, with many facing permanent closure due to declining foot...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Local bookstores struggled to compete with online retailers throughout the 2010s, with many facing permanent closure due to declining foot traffic and razor-thin profit margins. The pandemic initially worsened these challenges, forcing temporary shutdowns. Community-supported business models and partnerships with local coffee shops have since provided stable revenue streams, thus ______ these establishments' long-term viability.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
demonstrating
safeguarding
publicizing
diversifying
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Local bookstores struggled to compete with online retailers throughout the 2010s, with many facing permanent closure due to declining foot traffic and razor-thin profit margins.' |
|
| 'The pandemic initially worsened these challenges, forcing temporary shutdowns.' |
|
| 'Community-supported business models and partnerships with local coffee shops have since provided stable revenue streams,' |
|
| 'thus ______' |
|
| 'these establishments' long-term viability.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[PROBLEM CONTEXT]
Local bookstores struggling (2010s)
↓
[WORSENING FACTOR]
Pandemic made it worse
↓
[SOLUTION]
New business models + partnerships = stable revenue
↓
[MISSING CONNECTOR] thus ______
↓
[OUTCOME]
Long-term viability affected
Main Point: Local bookstores have found new revenue sources through community support and partnerships that are helping address their long-term survival challenges.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a problem-solution structure. It first describes how bookstores struggled throughout the 2010s and how the pandemic made things worse. Then it presents new business approaches that have provided stable income, and the blank asks us to connect this positive development to what it means for the bookstores' future survival.
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 have stable revenue streams from new business models connecting to 'these establishments' long-term viability.'
- The logical relationship here should show that stable revenue streams are helping to protect or secure the bookstores' future survival
- The word 'thus' signals a cause-and-effect relationship where the stable revenue is having a positive impact on their ability to survive long-term
- So the right answer should express how stable revenue streams are protecting or securing the bookstores' future prospects
demonstrating
✗ Incorrect
- This would mean the stable revenue streams are showing or proving the viability, but the context suggests the revenue streams are actually helping to create or protect viability, not just displaying it
safeguarding
✓ Correct
- This means protecting or securing something from harm. Perfectly captures how stable revenue streams are protecting the bookstores' long-term survival. Matches our prethinking that these new models are helping secure their future.
publicizing
✗ Incorrect
- This would mean making the viability known to the public. The passage is about the actual business impact of new revenue models, not about promoting awareness.
diversifying
✗ Incorrect
- This would mean making the viability more varied or different. Students might be tempted by this because the passage mentions different types of business models, but the sentence structure shows that revenue streams are affecting viability, not making viability itself more diverse.