The following text is adapted from Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel The Jungle. Marija is helping to manage her sister's wedding.It...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
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Craft and Structure
Words in Context
MEDIUM
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The following text is adapted from Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel The Jungle. Marija is helping to manage her sister's wedding.
It was [Marija's] task to see that all things went in due form, and after the best home traditions; and, flying wildly hither and thither, bowling every one out of the way, and scolding and exhorting all day with her tremendous voice, Marija was too eager to see that others conformed to the proprieties to consider them herself.
As used in the text, what does the word 'consider' most nearly mean?
A
Take into account and follow
B
Admire steadily and praise
C
Come to a decision about
D
Have an opinion on
Solution
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "It was [Marija's] task to see that all things went in due form, and after the best home traditions;" |
|
| "and, flying wildly hither and thither, bowling every one out of the way, and scolding and exhorting all day with her tremendous voice," |
|
| "Marija was too eager to see that others conformed to the proprieties to consider them herself." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Marija was so focused on ensuring others followed proper wedding etiquette that she ironically failed to follow those same rules herself.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? This is a Words in Context question asking us to choose the best meaning for "consider" as it's used in this specific passage.
- What type of answer do we need? The answer must fit the logical flow and meaning of the sentence where it appears.
- Any limiting keywords? None specified.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The sentence structure is: "Marija was too eager to see that others conformed to the proprieties to consider them herself."
- This creates a contrast—she was so focused on making sure others followed the proper behaviors that she didn't do something with those same behaviors herself.
- The word "consider" here needs to mean something that Marija should have done with "the proprieties" but didn't because she was too busy monitoring everyone else.
- Given the context of wedding etiquette and proper behavior, "consider" must mean something like "pay attention to" or "follow" or "take into account and apply to herself."
Answer Choices Explained
A
Take into account and follow
✓ Correct
- This perfectly captures the meaning in context—Marija was so busy ensuring others followed proper wedding etiquette that she didn't take those same rules into account for her own behavior.
- Matches our prethinking about her failing to apply the proprieties to herself.
B
Admire steadily and praise
✗ Incorrect
- This meaning doesn't fit the sentence structure or logic.
- The passage isn't about Marija failing to praise the proprieties—it's about her not following them herself.
C
Come to a decision about
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests Marija needed to make a choice about the proprieties, but that's not what happened.
- She already knew what the proper behaviors were—her problem was not applying them to herself.
D
Have an opinion on
✗ Incorrect
- Similar to choice B, this focuses on Marija's attitude toward the proprieties rather than her actions.
- She clearly already had strong opinions about proper behavior.
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