Marine biologists studying coral bleaching events have discovered that the phenomenon is highly ______: the severity and timing can change...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Marine biologists studying coral bleaching events have discovered that the phenomenon is highly ______: the severity and timing can change dramatically based on water temperature fluctuations, the coral species involved, and the duration of thermal stress.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
unpredictable
devastating
widespread
consistent
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Marine biologists studying coral bleaching events have discovered that the phenomenon is highly" |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| "the severity and timing can change dramatically based on water temperature fluctuations, the coral species involved, and the duration of thermal stress." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Marine biologists have discovered that coral bleaching has a particular characteristic that's explained by how its severity and timing vary dramatically based on multiple environmental and biological factors.
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 missing word needs to describe a characteristic that logically connects to the explanation that follows
- We're told that severity and timing "change dramatically" based on multiple different factors (temperature, species, stress duration)
- This dramatic variability based on multiple variables suggests the phenomenon is hard to predict or forecast
unpredictable
✓ Correct - "Unpredictable" perfectly matches the evidence provided
- When severity and timing change dramatically based on multiple variables, the phenomenon becomes difficult to forecast
devastating
✗ Incorrect - "Devastating" describes the impact or damage level of coral bleaching
- The explanation focuses on variability, not on how harmful it is
widespread
✗ Incorrect - "Widespread" refers to geographic distribution
- The explanation discusses variability in severity and timing, not geographic spread
consistent
✗ Incorrect - "Consistent" means steady and unchanging
- This directly contradicts the explanation about "dramatic changes" in severity and timing