Sleep specialists have observed that people who practice mindfulness meditation before bedtime experience better sleep quality than those who engage...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Sleep specialists have observed that people who practice mindfulness meditation before bedtime experience better sleep quality than those who engage in stimulating activities. Researchers theorize that meditation techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce stress hormones, potentially _______ healthy sleep patterns.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
monitor
establish
disrupting
impede
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Sleep specialists have observed that people who practice mindfulness meditation before bedtime experience better sleep quality than those who engage in stimulating activities." |
|
| "Researchers theorize that meditation techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce stress hormones," |
|
| "potentially ________" |
|
| "healthy sleep patterns." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
RESEARCH OBSERVATION: Meditation before bed improves sleep quality
BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION: Meditation activates rest system + reduces stress
LOGICAL RESULT: This potentially [missing word] healthy sleep patterns
Main Point: Research shows meditation before bed improves sleep quality, likely by activating calming biological processes that support healthy sleep patterns.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from observation to explanation to logical conclusion. The missing word must connect the positive biological changes to their impact on sleep patterns.
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 word needs to show what meditation's positive effects do to healthy sleep patterns
- Since meditation improves sleep quality through calming biological mechanisms, the missing word should show that these mechanisms help create or support good sleep patterns
- The relationship is: positive biological changes lead to positive effect on sleep patterns
monitor
- Monitor means to observe or track something
- This doesn't fit - we're not talking about meditation helping people watch their sleep patterns
- The context suggests meditation actively affects sleep patterns, not just observes them
establish
- Establish means to create, set up, or make stable
- This perfectly matches our prethinking - meditation's calming biological effects help create and stabilize healthy sleep patterns
- Creates the logical bridge between positive biological changes and good sleep habits
disrupting
- Disrupting means to interrupt or disturb
- This contradicts the entire positive context about meditation improving sleep quality
- This is a trap for students who might get confused by the word 'potentially' and think it introduces uncertainty
impede
- Impede means to block or hinder
- Like choice C, this creates a negative relationship that contradicts the passage's positive message about meditation improving sleep quality