The following text is adapted from Charles W. Chesnutt's 1901 novel The Marrow of Tradition. Mrs. Ochiltree was a woman...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The following text is adapted from Charles W. Chesnutt's 1901 novel The Marrow of Tradition.
Mrs. Ochiltree was a woman of strong individuality, whose comments upon her acquaintance[s], present or absent, were marked by a frankness at times no less than startling. This characteristic caused her to be more or less avoided. Mrs. Ochiltree was aware of this sentiment on the part of her acquaintance[s], and rather exulted in it.
Based on the text, what is true about Mrs. Ochiltree's acquaintances?
They try to refrain from discussing topics that would upset Mrs. Ochiltree.
They are unable to spend as much time with Mrs. Ochiltree as she would like.
They are too preoccupied with their own concerns to speak with Mrs. Ochiltree.
They are likely offended by what Mrs. Ochiltree has said about them.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Mrs. Ochiltree was a woman of strong individuality, whose comments upon her acquaintances, present or absent, were marked by a frankness at times no less than startling. |
|
| This characteristic caused her to be more or less avoided. |
|
| Mrs. Ochiltree was aware of this sentiment on the part of her acquaintances, and rather exulted in it. |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Mrs. Ochiltree's extremely frank comments about people cause them to avoid her, which she knows and actually takes pride in.
Argument Flow: The passage first establishes Mrs. Ochiltree's defining trait of startling frankness in her comments about others. It then shows the natural consequence—people avoid her because of this. Finally, it reveals her attitude toward this situation—she's aware of it and actually takes pride in being avoided.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? What is true about Mrs. Ochiltree's acquaintances based on the text
What type of answer do we need? A factual claim about the acquaintances that can be supported by the passage
Any limiting keywords? Based on the text—must be directly supported by textual evidence
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
From our analysis, we know that Mrs. Ochiltree's startling frankness in her comments about her acquaintances causes them to avoid her. The most logical reason people would avoid someone who makes startling frank comments about them is that they're bothered or offended by what she says. The text directly states that her characteristic of frankness caused her to be more or less avoided, which suggests her acquaintances have a negative reaction to her comments about them.
They try to refrain from discussing topics that would upset Mrs. Ochiltree.
This suggests they avoid certain topics to prevent upsetting her. The passage shows the opposite—her frank comments upset them, causing them to avoid her. No evidence that they're trying to protect her feelings.
They are unable to spend as much time with Mrs. Ochiltree as she would like.
This implies a scheduling or time management issue. The passage indicates they actively avoid her due to her frankness, not because of time constraints. Misses the real reason for the avoidance.
They are too preoccupied with their own concerns to speak with Mrs. Ochiltree.
Suggests they're distracted by their own issues. The passage clearly states her characteristic of frankness causes the avoidance. Not supported by any textual evidence.
They are likely offended by what Mrs. Ochiltree has said about them.
Her startling frankness about her acquaintances naturally would offend them. This directly explains why this characteristic caused her to be more or less avoided. Matches our prethinking about their negative reaction to her comments.