Market strategist David Chen has supported retail executives who predict significant changes in how consumers interact with traditional stores. Chen...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Market strategist David Chen has supported retail executives who predict significant changes in how consumers interact with traditional stores. Chen documented that successful retail formats have historically adapted by incorporating new technologies, showing how department stores enhanced their operations by adding online catalogs and digital payment systems. Additionally, he noted that consumer behavior studies consistently demonstrate growing comfort with hybrid shopping experiences that combine physical and digital elements. Chen believes these trends validate executives' predictions about retail transformation.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
It describes specific technologies that department stores have successfully adopted.
It explains why consumer behavior studies are more reliable than other market research methods.
It provides evidence that supports the executives' perspective mentioned earlier in the text.
It argues that digital payment systems are the most important retail innovation.
I'll solve this step-by-step following the systematic approach.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Market strategist David Chen has supported retail executives who predict significant changes in how consumers interact with traditional stores." |
|
| "Chen documented that successful retail formats have historically adapted by incorporating new technologies, showing how department stores enhanced their operations by adding online catalogs and digital payment systems." |
|
| "Additionally, he noted that consumer behavior studies consistently demonstrate growing comfort with hybrid shopping experiences that combine physical and digital elements." |
|
| "Chen believes these trends validate executives' predictions about retail transformation." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: David Chen believes that historical retail adaptation patterns and current consumer behavior studies support retail executives' predictions about significant changes in how consumers interact with stores.
Argument Flow: The passage introduces Chen's support for executive predictions, then presents two types of evidence he documented (historical retail adaptation and consumer behavior studies), and concludes with his belief that these trends validate the predictions.
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, the department store example comes in the middle of Chen's evidence about how retail has historically adapted
- It's a specific example that supports the broader point about retail adaptation
- The right answer should:
- Recognize this is an example/evidence within Chen's documented findings
- Connect it to Chen's overall argument supporting the executives
- Show how it functions to strengthen the case for retail transformation
It describes specific technologies that department stores have successfully adopted.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses only on describing what the specific technologies are
- Misses the functional role within Chen's argument structure
- Too narrow—doesn't address how this serves Chen's broader support for executive predictions
It explains why consumer behavior studies are more reliable than other market research methods.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the portion explains why consumer behavior studies are more reliable
- The underlined portion is about department store adaptation, not research methodology
- Completely misidentifies what the portion actually does in the passage
It provides evidence that supports the executives' perspective mentioned earlier in the text.
✓ Correct
- Correctly identifies this as evidence supporting the executives' perspective
- Matches our prethinking about it being evidence for Chen's position
- Captures the functional relationship—Chen documented this example to back up the executives he supports
- Shows understanding that this specific example serves the larger argumentative purpose
It argues that digital payment systems are the most important retail innovation.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the portion argues digital payments are the most important innovation
- The text doesn't rank technologies or make this comparative argument
- Misreads the function as making a priority claim rather than providing supporting evidence