Text 1Marine researcher Dr. Sarah Chen has earned acclaim for her investigations of coral reef environments throughout the Pacific Ocean....
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Text 1
Marine researcher Dr. Sarah Chen has earned acclaim for her investigations of coral reef environments throughout the Pacific Ocean. Nevertheless, her associate Dr. Marcus Webb has questioned Chen's research methods, claiming her conclusions are unreliable due to her limited hands-on field expertise. Webb maintains that Chen's studies depend excessively on laboratory testing instead of firsthand underwater examination, thereby restricting her comprehension of reef behavior patterns.
Text 2
Dr. Chen's investigative methodology is actually rooted in comprehensive fieldwork she performed while completing her graduate studies. Throughout her doctoral program, Chen dedicated more than two years to performing underwater assessments across various reef ecosystems in the Pacific region. This practical background in diving procedures and marine data gathering techniques directly shapes her present laboratory processes and study methodology.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to Webb's criticism of Chen's field experience?
Chen acquired significant field expertise through her doctoral research diving background.
The majority of marine researchers favor laboratory studies over underwater fieldwork.
Webb's critique fails to recognize the significance of laboratory testing in marine science.
Chen's coral reef research has received confirmation from additional marine biology experts.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Marine researcher Dr. Sarah Chen has earned acclaim for her investigations of coral reef environments throughout the Pacific Ocean." |
|
| "Nevertheless, her associate Dr. Marcus Webb has questioned Chen's research methods, claiming her conclusions are unreliable due to her limited hands-on field expertise." |
|
| "Webb maintains that Chen's studies depend excessively on laboratory testing instead of firsthand underwater examination, thereby restricting her comprehension of reef behavior patterns." |
|
| "Dr. Chen's investigative methodology is actually rooted in comprehensive fieldwork she performed while completing her graduate studies." |
|
| "Throughout her doctoral program, Chen dedicated more than two years to performing underwater assessments across various reef ecosystems in the Pacific region." |
|
| "This practical background in diving procedures and marine data gathering techniques directly shapes her present laboratory processes and study methodology." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture and Core Elements
Main Point: Text 1 presents Webb's criticism that Chen lacks field experience, while Text 2 directly refutes this by detailing Chen's extensive underwater fieldwork during graduate school.
Argument Flow: Text 1 establishes a conflict between Chen's acclaim and Webb's criticism about her field experience. Text 2 systematically dismantles this criticism by providing concrete evidence of Chen's extensive fieldwork and explaining how it informs her current methods.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? How would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to Webb's specific criticism about Chen's field experience?
What type of answer do we need? A response that shows how Text 2 addresses Webb's claim about Chen's limited hands-on field expertise.
Any limiting keywords? most likely respond
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at Webb's criticism, he specifically claims Chen has "limited hands-on field expertise" and relies too much on laboratory testing rather than "firsthand underwater examination"
- Text 2 directly counters this by showing that Chen actually has extensive field experience - over two years of underwater assessments during her doctoral program across multiple Pacific reef ecosystems
- The right answer should show how Text 2 demonstrates that Webb's criticism about Chen's field experience is factually wrong - that she actually does have significant underwater fieldwork background
Chen acquired significant field expertise through her doctoral research diving background.
✓ Correct
- This directly matches what Text 2 argues - that Chen gained significant field expertise through her doctoral research involving underwater assessments
- Perfectly aligns with how Text 2 counters Webb's claim about limited field experience
The majority of marine researchers favor laboratory studies over underwater fieldwork.
✗ Incorrect
- Text 2 makes no claims about what the majority of marine researchers prefer
- Focuses on general research preferences rather than addressing Webb's specific criticism about Chen's experience
Webb's critique fails to recognize the significance of laboratory testing in marine science.
✗ Incorrect
- Text 2 doesn't defend the significance of laboratory testing itself
- Instead of defending lab work, Text 2 shows that Chen's lab work is actually informed by extensive fieldwork
Chen's coral reef research has received confirmation from additional marine biology experts.
✗ Incorrect
- Text 2 never mentions other marine biology experts confirming Chen's research
- Introduces information not present in either text