Professor Chen operated a field research facility situated in an isolated canyon, far from the primary laboratory that contained the...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Professor Chen operated a field research facility situated in an isolated canyon, far from the primary laboratory that contained the data analysis infrastructure. Because the facility's position in relation to the headquarters was so _____, gathering and processing environmental specimens demanded complex logistical planning and substantially postponed their investigative schedule.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
systematic
isolated
documented
accessible
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Professor Chen operated a field research facility situated in an isolated canyon, far from the primary laboratory that contained the data analysis infrastructure.' |
|
| 'Because the facility's position in relation to the headquarters was so _____,' |
|
| 'gathering and processing environmental specimens demanded complex logistical planning and substantially postponed their investigative schedule.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The remote location of Professor Chen's research facility created operational challenges that complicated their work process.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Professor Chen's facility is physically separated from the main laboratory, then presents the logistical difficulties and delays that resulted from this positioning.
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 the facility's position that would logically cause complex logistical planning and substantially postponed schedules
- From our analysis, we know the facility is in an isolated canyon and far from the primary laboratory
- So the right word should capture how this distance/separation creates operational difficulties
systematic
- A systematic position doesn't make logical sense - this describes a methodical approach, not a physical location
- This doesn't explain why logistics would be complex or schedules delayed
isolated
- Perfectly matches the context clues: isolated canyon and far from the primary laboratory
- An isolated position logically explains why gathering specimens would require complex logistical planning
- Being cut off from headquarters would naturally cause delays in processing and analysis
documented
- A documented position refers to record-keeping, not physical location
- This doesn't create a logical cause-and-effect relationship with the operational challenges described
accessible
- If the position were accessible, it would make logistics easier, not more complex
- This creates the opposite relationship from what the sentence structure demands