Nineteenth-century American educational institutions lacked the extensive academic programs found in contemporary schools. Such establishments general...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Nineteenth-century American educational institutions lacked the extensive academic programs found in contemporary schools. Such establishments generally _______ merely fundamental disciplines including literacy, numeracy, and penmanship before educational modernization efforts broadened curricular options during the initial decades of the twentieth century.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
prioritized
disregarded
condemned
delayed
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Nineteenth-century American educational institutions lacked the extensive academic programs found in contemporary schools." |
|
| [MISSING WORD/PHRASE] |
|
| "merely fundamental disciplines including literacy, numeracy, and penmanship" |
|
| "before educational modernization efforts broadened curricular options during the initial decades of the twentieth century." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Nineteenth-century American schools focused only on basic subjects before educational modernization expanded their programs in the early twentieth century.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that old schools were limited compared to today, then describes what they did with basic subjects (missing word), and finally contrasts this with later educational expansion that broadened what schools offered.
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
- The blank needs to describe what these limited 19th-century schools did with "merely fundamental disciplines."
- Since we know from the context that these schools "lacked extensive academic programs" but still offered basic subjects, the missing word should indicate they focused on or gave attention to these fundamental areas.
- The word "merely" reinforces that they concentrated on just the basics, not broader programs.
prioritized
- Fits perfectly - schools gave priority to basic subjects since that is what they offered.
- Makes logical sense with "merely" - they prioritized only the fundamentals.
- Creates smooth flow from "lacked extensive programs" to focusing on basics.
disregarded
- Opposite meaning - suggests schools ignored basic subjects.
- Contradicts the logic - if they lacked extensive programs, they would focus more on basics, not ignore them.
condemned
- Means to criticize or disapprove of the subjects.
- Makes no sense - schools would not condemn the subjects they were teaching.
delayed
- Suggests postponing the subjects rather than teaching them.
- Does not fit with "merely" - you cannot delay "merely" something.