Modern historians typically _______ the documentary research techniques that have served as the foundation of the field since the 1800s,...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Modern historians typically _______ the documentary research techniques that have served as the foundation of the field since the 1800s, yet they do not restrict themselves solely to conventional resources; to illustrate, numerous academics currently integrate online communications and electronic documentation into their studies.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
employ
discard
transform
challenge
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Modern historians typically _______ the documentary research techniques that have served as the foundation of the field since the 1800s,' |
|
| 'yet they do not restrict themselves solely to conventional resources;' |
|
| 'to illustrate, numerous academics currently integrate online communications and electronic documentation into their studies.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Modern historians maintain their use of traditional documentary research techniques while also expanding to include digital resources.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes what historians do with traditional methods (missing word), then contrasts this with their openness to non-conventional sources, and finally provides an example of how they incorporate digital resources alongside traditional approaches.
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 passage analysis, we need a word that describes what historians do with traditional documentary research techniques
- Sets up a logical contrast with 'yet they do not restrict themselves solely to conventional resources'
- Makes sense with the example showing historians adding digital resources to their toolkit
- The 'yet' is crucial here - it signals that what comes after contrasts with what comes before
- The right answer should indicate that historians USE or UTILIZE the traditional techniques, creating a logical setup for the 'yet' contrast that shows they go beyond just those techniques
employ
- 'Employ' means to use or utilize
- Creates perfect logical flow: historians USE traditional techniques, YET they don't limit themselves to only those
- The contrast makes complete sense - they maintain traditional methods while expanding their toolkit
discard
- 'Discard' means to throw away or abandon
- Eliminates the logical contrast - if they discard traditional techniques, there's no 'yet' needed to say they use other resources too
transform
- 'Transform' means to change or modify significantly
- Doesn't set up the right contrast with the 'yet' clause
- The example shows addition of new resources, not transformation of old techniques
challenge
- 'Challenge' means to question or oppose
- Like 'discard,' this eliminates the need for the 'yet' contrast
- If they challenge traditional techniques, using other resources wouldn't be surprising