The following text is from Darcie Little Badger's 2021 novel A Snake Falls to Earth. Nina is looking at old...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Darcie Little Badger's 2021 novel A Snake Falls to Earth. Nina is looking at old family photographs. Nina couldn't stop looking at the sepia-toned photograph in an oak frame. Propped on the window ledge, it featured a portrait of Great-Great-Grandmother Rosita as a young woman.
©2021 by Darcie Little Badger.
As used in the text, what does the word 'featured' most nearly mean?
Displayed
Questioned
Approved
Ignored
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Nina couldn't stop looking at the sepia-toned photograph in an oak frame." |
|
| "Propped on the window ledge, it featured a portrait of Great-Great-Grandmother Rosita as a young woman." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Nina is captivated by an old family photograph showing her great-great-grandmother.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Nina's intense focus on a photograph, then provides details about the photograph's appearance, placement, and subject matter to give us a complete picture of what has captured her attention.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The meaning of the word "featured" as used in this specific context
What type of answer do we need? A synonym or definition that fits the contextual usage
Any limiting keywords? "As used in the text" - meaning we need the contextual meaning, not just any general definition of "featured"
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at the sentence "Propped on the window ledge, it featured a portrait of Great-Great-Grandmother Rosita," we can see that "featured" describes what the photograph contained or showed
- The photograph was displaying or presenting the portrait
- The word needs to mean "showed" or "contained" or "displayed" - something that indicates the photograph presented this image of the ancestor
- So the right answer should be a word that means the photograph showed or displayed the portrait
Displayed
- "Displayed" fits perfectly - the photograph displayed/showed a portrait
- This matches our prethinking exactly - we need a word meaning "showed"
Questioned
- "Questioned" makes no sense in this context
- A photograph cannot question a portrait
- What trap this represents: This might tempt students who misread or don't carefully consider the sentence structure
Approved
- "Approved" doesn't fit the context
- The photograph isn't approving anything, it's showing something
- This choice doesn't make logical sense when substituted in the sentence
Ignored
- "Ignored" is the opposite of what's happening
- The photograph clearly shows the portrait, it's not ignoring it
- This contradicts the entire meaning of the sentence