Professor Elena Rodriguez, a literature specialist at Yale University, is analyzing the storytelling methods in Toni Morrison's Beloved to establish...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Professor Elena Rodriguez, a literature specialist at Yale University, is analyzing the storytelling methods in Toni Morrison's Beloved to establish whether narrative devices like nonlinear time sequences and consciousness-flow writing have _______ influence on readers' emotional engagement-particularly, to evaluate whether such approaches generate distinctly powerful psychological reactions.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
a profound
a negligible
a troubling
a moderate
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Professor Elena Rodriguez, a literature specialist at Yale University, is analyzing the storytelling methods in Toni Morrison's Beloved" |
|
| "to establish whether narrative devices like nonlinear time sequences and consciousness-flow writing have" |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| "influence on readers' emotional engagement" |
|
| "particularly, to evaluate whether such approaches generate distinctly powerful psychological reactions." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Professor Rodriguez is researching whether specific narrative techniques in Morrison's Beloved create significant emotional and psychological effects on readers.
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 key clue comes from the emphasis: "particularly, to evaluate whether such approaches generate distinctly powerful psychological reactions."
- The word "distinctly powerful" suggests Rodriguez expects these narrative techniques to have a significant, meaningful impact.
- The research is specifically designed to test for strong effects, which indicates she's looking for evidence of substantial influence.
- So the right answer should describe a significant, deep, or substantial type of influence.
a profound
✓ Correct
- "Profound" means deep, significant, far-reaching.
- Perfectly matches the expectation of "distinctly powerful psychological reactions."
- If Rodriguez is testing for strong psychological effects, she's looking for profound influence.
a negligible
✗ Incorrect
- "Negligible" means insignificant or barely noticeable.
- Contradicts the emphasis on "distinctly powerful" reactions.
a troubling
✗ Incorrect
- "Troubling" suggests negative or disturbing effects.
- The passage has no negative tone and doesn't connect to the idea of powerful psychological engagement.
a moderate
✗ Incorrect
- "Moderate" suggests average or middle-level influence.
- Doesn't align with testing for "distinctly powerful" reactions.