The following text is adapted from Sui Sin Far's 1912 short story Mrs. Spring Fragrance. Mr. and Mrs. Spring Fragrance...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from Sui Sin Far's 1912 short story Mrs. Spring Fragrance. Mr. and Mrs. Spring Fragrance immigrated to the United States from China.
Mrs. Spring Fragrance was unaware that Mr. Spring Fragrance, tired with the day's business, had thrown himself down on the bamboo settee on the veranda, and that although his eyes were engaged in scanning the pages of the Chinese World, his ears could not help receiving the words which were borne to him through the open window.
As used in the text, what does the word 'receiving' most nearly mean?
Denying
Entering
Carrying
Hearing
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Mrs. Spring Fragrance was unaware that Mr. Spring Fragrance, tired with the day's business, had thrown himself down on the bamboo settee on the veranda," |
|
| "and that although his eyes were engaged in scanning the pages of the Chinese World," |
|
| "his ears could not help receiving the words which were borne to him through the open window." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Mrs. Spring Fragrance doesn't realize that her husband, while appearing to read, is actually listening to words coming through the window.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Mrs. Spring Fragrance's unawareness, then reveals the reality of her husband's situation - he seems focused on reading but is actually picking up sounds from inside the house.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best meaning for "receiving" in context.
What type of answer do we need? The answer must fit how the word functions in the specific sentence about Mr. Spring Fragrance's ears.
Any limiting keywords? The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The sentence tells us that Mr. Spring Fragrance's "ears could not help receiving the words."
- We know these words are coming through the window, and the context suggests he's picking them up involuntarily while trying to read.
- So "receiving" here means his ears are taking in or picking up sounds - essentially what ears do when they detect words or sounds.
Denying
- This would mean his ears were rejecting the words, which contradicts the context
Entering
- While words might "enter" ears, this doesn't capture what ears actually do with words
Carrying
- This suggests transporting words elsewhere, but ears don't carry words - they detect them
Hearing
- This perfectly captures what ears do with words and fits the context of involuntary detection