Painter Alma W. Thomas was fascinated by the colors and shapes found in nature. The flowers and trees in the...

GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions

Source: Practice Test

Craft and Structure

Words in Context

EASY

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Notes

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Painter Alma W. Thomas was fascinated by the colors and shapes found in nature. The flowers and trees in the garden at her home in Washington, DC, ________ her work. For example, Thomas's use of broken brushstrokes was inspired by the way that light would shine through the leaves of a tree in front of her house.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

restricted

announced

distracted

influenced

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table

Text from Passage	Analysis
"Painter Alma W. Thomas was fascinated by the colors and shapes found in nature."	What it says: Thomas = painter, fascinated by nature's colors/shapes What it does: Introduces the artist and her main interest What it is: Background context
"The flowers and trees in the garden at her home in Washington, DC,"	What it says: Specific natural elements at her home What it does: Identifies particular nature sources she could observe What it is: Specific context/setting
"[MISSING WORD/PHRASE]"	What it is: Missing logical connector
"her work."	What it says: Thomas's artistic creations What it does: Completes the thought about relationship to her art What it is: Object of the relationship
"For example, Thomas's use of broken brushstrokes was inspired by the way that light would shine through the leaves of a tree in front of her house."	What it says: Broken brushstrokes inspired by light through leaves What it does: Provides concrete evidence of nature influencing her technique What it is: Supporting example

Main Point: Alma W. Thomas's artistic work was shaped by her close observation of the natural elements around her home.

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

From our analysis, we see that Thomas was fascinated by nature, and the example shows her broken brushstrokes were "inspired by" natural observations
The logical relationship we need is one that shows how the flowers and trees at her home affected or shaped her artistic work
The word should indicate that these natural elements had a positive, creative impact on her art
So the right answer should show that the flowers and trees had a shaping or inspiring effect on her work

Answer Choices Explained

restricted

✗ Incorrect

"Restricted" means limited or confined
This suggests the flowers and trees constrained her work, which contradicts the example showing they inspired her technique

announced

✗ Incorrect

"Announced" means declared or made known
Flowers and trees can't literally announce artwork
This doesn't create a logical relationship between nature and her artistic creation

distracted

✗ Incorrect

"Distracted" means drew attention away from something
This suggests the natural elements took her focus away from her work
Contradicts the example showing nature directly inspired her artistic technique

influenced

✓ Correct

"Influenced" means affected or shaped the development of something
This creates the perfect logical connection: nature affected her work
Matches perfectly with the example showing how natural observation "inspired" her brushstroke technique

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