The following text is from Booth Tarkington's 1921 novel Alice Adams.Mrs. Adams had always been fond of vases, she said,...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Booth Tarkington's 1921 novel Alice Adams.
Mrs. Adams had always been fond of vases, she said, and every year her husband's Christmas present to her was a vase of one sort or another—whatever the clerk showed him, marked at about twelve or fourteen dollars.
As used in the text, what does the word 'marked' most nearly mean?
Staged
Priced
Stained
Watched
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Mrs. Adams had always been fond of vases, she said," |
|
| "and every year her husband's Christmas present to her was a vase of one sort or another" |
|
| "whatever the clerk showed him, marked at about twelve or fourteen dollars." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Mrs. Adams receives a predictable Christmas gift each year—a vase in the twelve to fourteen dollar price range that her husband selects based on whatever the store clerk shows him.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Mrs. Adams' love for vases, then describes how this preference has become a routine Christmas tradition, concluding with specific details about how her husband approaches the gift selection and the typical price range.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The meaning of the word "marked" as used in this specific context
What type of answer do we need? The most appropriate synonym or definition that fits the contextual usage
Any limiting keywords? "As used in the text" and "most nearly mean" - we need the meaning that best fits this particular usage, not just any definition of "marked"
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our passage analysis, we see that "marked" appears in the phrase "whatever the clerk showed him, marked at about twelve or fourteen dollars."
- The context is clearly about shopping and gift selection, where the husband is looking at vases that have some kind of indication of their cost.
- The right answer should indicate that "marked" refers to how the price is displayed or indicated on the vases—essentially meaning "priced at."
Staged
✗ Incorrect
- "Staged" refers to something being arranged or set up, often artificially.
- This doesn't make sense with "at about twelve or fourteen dollars"—you can't stage something "at" a dollar amount.
- Has no connection to the retail shopping context.
Priced
✓ Correct
- "Priced" fits perfectly with the shopping context.
- Makes complete sense: "whatever the clerk showed him, priced at about twelve or fourteen dollars."
- The phrase "marked at" is commonly used to mean "priced at" in retail contexts.
Stained
✗ Incorrect
- "Stained" refers to something being discolored or soiled.
- While vases could theoretically be stained, it makes no sense to be "stained at twelve or fourteen dollars."
Watched
✗ Incorrect
- "Watched" means observed or monitored.
- The phrase "watched at twelve or fourteen dollars" is nonsensical.
- Doesn't connect to the retail context where price indication is the logical focus.