The following text is adapted from Sofia Chen's personal narrative describing her transition from a small suburban high school to...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from Sofia Chen's personal narrative describing her transition from a small suburban high school to a large metropolitan preparatory academy midway through her junior year.
Sofia approached her new environment with enthusiasm regarding the educational possibilities and was resolved to maximize all resources the institution provided. Navigating corridors displaying announcements for honors-level programs, she observed senior students engaged in conversations about university readiness tactics and became motivated to explore potential academic routes open to her. Her previous institution had offered fundamental classes and minimal enrichment activities.
Which choice most accurately identifies the primary function of the text?
It describes why a student decided to transfer schools.
It evaluates a student's scholastic achievements across two educational environments.
It demonstrates a student's adjustment to an unfamiliar academic environment.
It conveys a student's disapproval of her former school's deficiencies.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Sofia approached her new environment with enthusiasm regarding the educational possibilities and was resolved to maximize all resources the institution provided." |
|
| "Navigating corridors displaying announcements for honors-level programs, she observed senior students engaged in conversations about university readiness tactics and became motivated to explore potential academic routes open to her." |
|
| "Her previous institution had offered fundamental classes and minimal enrichment activities." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The text shows Sofia actively adjusting to and engaging with her new, resource-rich school environment.
Argument Flow: We first learn about Sofia's enthusiastic approach to her new school and desire to use its resources. Then we see concrete examples of how she's navigating this new environment. Finally, we get context about her previous school's limitations.
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 text is fundamentally about Sofia's experience in her new school environment
- We see her approaching the new school with enthusiasm, actively exploring what's available, getting motivated by what she discovers
- This experience happens against the backdrop of her previous school's limitations
- The right answer should capture that this text is showing us Sofia's process of engaging with and adapting to her new academic environment
It describes why a student decided to transfer schools.
- ✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the text explains Sofia's reasons for transferring
- The passage never tells us why Sofia decided to transfer - we only see her already at the new school
It evaluates a student's scholastic achievements across two educational environments.
- ✗ Incorrect
- This would mean comparing Sofia's academic performance at both schools
- The text doesn't mention grades, test scores, or any measures of scholastic achievement
It demonstrates a student's adjustment to an unfamiliar academic environment.
- ✓ Correct
- This captures exactly what we see in the passage - Sofia navigating and responding to her new school
- "Adjustment" fits perfectly with her observing programs, listening to students, getting motivated
- This matches our prethinking about Sofia's process of engaging with her new environment
It conveys a student's disapproval of her former school's deficiencies.
- ✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the main focus is Sofia criticizing her old school
- While we learn her previous school had "minimal enrichment activities," this information serves as contrast, not as the main point