The following text is adapted from a technical manual for aircraft maintenance. The mechanic was secured in the safety harness...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from a technical manual for aircraft maintenance. The mechanic was secured in the safety harness beneath the wing, systematically checking each component. When she spotted a loose bolt near the engine housing, she found herself leaning out to inspect it more thoroughly without repositioning her equipment.
As used in the text, what does "leaning out to" most nearly mean?
Extending toward
Emerging from
Departing to reach
Moving away from
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The following text is adapted from a technical manual for aircraft maintenance." |
|
| "The mechanic was secured in the safety harness beneath the wing, systematically checking each component." |
|
| "When she spotted a loose bolt near the engine housing," |
|
| "she found herself leaning out to inspect it more thoroughly without repositioning her equipment." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A mechanic performing routine maintenance discovers a loose bolt and extends her body to examine it more closely while remaining secured in her original position.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a technical maintenance scenario, introduces the mechanic's systematic work, presents a problem she discovers, and describes how she responds by stretching toward the issue while staying secured.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? This is a Words in Context question asking us to determine the meaning of leaning out to based on how it is used in this specific passage.
What type of answer do we need? We need to find what this phrase means in the context of a mechanic who is secured in a harness and wants to inspect something more closely without repositioning her equipment.
Any limiting keywords? The key constraint is "without repositioning her equipment" which indicates she stays in her secured position.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The mechanic is secured in a safety harness beneath the wing
- She spots a loose bolt near the engine housing and wants to inspect it more thoroughly
- The key detail is that she does this without repositioning her equipment - meaning she stays in her secured position but needs to get closer to the bolt somehow
- The phrase leaning out to in this context must describe how she extends or stretches her body from her secured position toward the bolt to get a better look
- She is not leaving her position or moving away - she is reaching or extending toward the object of interest
- The right answer should describe extending or stretching toward something from a fixed position
Extending toward
- This perfectly captures what the mechanic is doing - she is stretching or extending her body from her secured position toward the loose bolt
- Matches our prethinking about reaching toward something while staying in her original position
- The phrase without repositioning her equipment supports this - she is extending her body rather than moving her gear
Emerging from
- This suggests coming out of or appearing from something, which does not fit the context
- The mechanic is not emerging from her harness or position - she is reaching toward the bolt while staying secured
Departing to reach
- Departing implies leaving her current position, which directly contradicts without repositioning her equipment
- This choice represents a trap where students might focus on the to reach part and miss that departing contradicts the context of staying secured in place
Moving away from
- This is the opposite of what is happening - she is moving toward the bolt to inspect it, not away from it
- Makes no logical sense given that she wants to inspect it more thoroughly