Technology executive Sarah Chen steadfastly declines to _______ the conventional business methodologies that pervade her sector, and her firm's remark...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Technology executive Sarah Chen steadfastly declines to _______ the conventional business methodologies that pervade her sector, and her firm's remarkable expansion indicates that financiers appreciate exactly this readiness to defy established protocols and embrace innovative approaches.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
adhere to
examine
understand
evaluate
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Technology executive Sarah Chen steadfastly declines to" |
|
| [MISSING WORD/PHRASE] |
|
| "the conventional business methodologies that pervade her sector," |
|
| "and her firm's remarkable expansion indicates that financiers appreciate exactly this readiness to defy established protocols and embrace innovative approaches." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Sarah Chen's refusal to follow conventional business practices has led to remarkable success that investors appreciate.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Sarah Chen firmly refuses to do something with conventional business methods, then provides evidence that this approach works by pointing to her company's success and investor approval of her willingness to break from established practices.
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 show what Sarah Chen refuses to do with conventional methodologies
- Based on our analysis, we know that she "steadfastly declines" to do something with conventional methods and the second half tells us she's appreciated for her "readiness to defy established protocols"
- So the missing word should indicate following or conforming to conventional methods - something she refuses to do
adhere to
adhere to
✓ Correct
- "Adhere to" means to follow or stick closely to something
- Creates perfect logical flow: she refuses to follow conventional methods, which aligns with her being appreciated for defying established protocols
examine
examine
✗ Incorrect
- "Examine" means to look at or study closely
- Doesn't create the right logical relationship - refusing to examine something doesn't connect to defying protocols
understand
understand
✗ Incorrect
- "Understand" means to comprehend or grasp
- Creates an illogical flow - refusing to understand conventional methods doesn't align with actively defying established protocols
evaluate
evaluate
✗ Incorrect
- "Evaluate" means to assess or judge
- Doesn't fit the context - the passage isn't about her assessment process but about her refusal to conform
Answer: A