Recent studies in culinary psychology reveal that diners respond more ______ certain flavor combinations than others. Sweet and savory pairings,...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Recent studies in culinary psychology reveal that diners respond more ______ certain flavor combinations than others. Sweet and savory pairings, for example, generate significantly higher satisfaction ratings than predominantly bitter or sour dishes.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
favorably to
puzzled by
altered by
comparable to
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Recent studies in culinary psychology reveal that diners respond more _______ certain flavor combinations than others." |
|
| "Sweet and savory pairings, for example, generate significantly higher satisfaction ratings than predominantly bitter or sour dishes." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research shows diners have varying levels of positive response to different flavor combinations.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a research finding about how diners respond differently to various flavor combinations, then supports this with a specific example comparing satisfaction ratings.
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 missing word needs to describe how diners respond "more [BLANK]" certain combinations
- The example shows "higher satisfaction ratings" for sweet-savory pairings
- This indicates the response is positive and measurable
- The word should indicate a positive type of response that can vary in degree and connect to the idea of "higher satisfaction ratings" in the example
favorably to
favorably to - ✓ Correct
- "Respond more favorably" creates a logical comparison about positive response levels and directly connects to "higher satisfaction ratings" in the example
puzzled by
puzzled by - ✗ Incorrect
- "More puzzled by" doesn't align with "higher satisfaction ratings" and creates contradiction between confusion and satisfaction
altered by
altered by - ✗ Incorrect
- "More altered by" suggests change rather than preference or satisfaction and doesn't connect logically to satisfaction ratings
comparable to
comparable to - ✗ Incorrect
- "More comparable to" is grammatically awkward and doesn't establish the preference relationship the passage describes