The following text is adapted from a sports training manual. The basketball player maintained her defensive stance at the free-throw...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from a sports training manual. The basketball player maintained her defensive stance at the free-throw line, keeping her feet planted as instructed. When the opposing player attempted a shot, she instinctively found herself stretching up to deflect the ball without leaving her assigned position.
As used in the text, what does "stretching up to" most nearly mean?
Jumping toward
Reaching toward
Rising to meet
Standing to block
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The basketball player maintained her defensive stance at the free-throw line, keeping her feet planted as instructed." |
|
| "When the opposing player attempted a shot, she instinctively found herself stretching up to deflect the ball without leaving her assigned position." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A basketball player extends upward to defend against a shot while maintaining her required defensive position.
Argument Flow: The passage first establishes the player's constrained defensive position, then shows how she responds to an opponent's shot by extending upward within those constraints.
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 context clues are that the player "kept her feet planted as instructed" and acted "without leaving her assigned position"
- This means whatever "stretching up to" describes, it must be something she can do while staying in place
- The phrase suggests upward extension toward the ball
- Since she can't jump or leave her position, this must involve extending her body upward while her feet remain planted
Jumping toward
✗ Incorrect
- Jumping would require leaving her feet and contradicts "without leaving her assigned position"
Reaching toward
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures extending upward while staying in place
- "Reaching" allows for upward extension without leaving position
Rising to meet
✗ Incorrect
- "Rising" suggests full body upward movement that could imply leaving her planted position
Standing to block
✗ Incorrect
- "Standing" doesn't capture the upward extension implied by "stretching up" and is too static for the active motion described