The following text is from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. The narrator is being driven in a carriage through a...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. The narrator is being driven in a carriage through a remote region at night.
The baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every side. I grew dreadfully afraid, and the horses shared my fear. The driver, however, was not in the least disturbed; he kept turning his head to left and right, but I could not see anything through the darkness.
As used in the text, what does the word 'disturbed' most nearly mean?
Disorganized
Alarmed
Offended
Interrupted
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every side." |
|
| "I grew dreadfully afraid, and the horses shared my fear." |
|
| "The driver, however, was not in the least disturbed;" |
|
| "he kept turning his head to left and right, but I could not see anything through the darkness." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While wolves threaten the carriage and everyone else is terrified, the driver remains completely calm and unafraid.
Argument Flow: The passage creates a stark contrast between natural fear (narrator and horses) and unnatural calm (driver) in the face of wolf danger. This sets up the driver as mysterious or supernatural, as his reaction defies normal human response to mortal threat.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? This is a Words in Context question asking us what "disturbed" means specifically in this passage.
What type of answer do we need? We need to find the meaning that makes the most sense given the surrounding context of wolves, fear, and the driver's contrasting reaction.
Any limiting keywords? None specified.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our analysis, "disturbed" appears in the context of danger and fear
- The wolves are threatening, the narrator is "dreadfully afraid," and the horses are scared too
- But the driver "was not in the least disturbed" - meaning he's showing the opposite reaction from everyone else
- The word needs to capture what the narrator and horses ARE feeling that the driver is NOT feeling
- Since they're experiencing fear and worry about the wolf threat, "disturbed" here should mean worried, anxious, or alarmed by the danger
Disorganized
- This would mean the driver was not confused or messy in his behavior
- But the passage is not about organization - it is about emotional response to danger
- The context is fear and wolves, not chaos or confusion
Alarmed
- This perfectly captures what the narrator and horses ARE feeling - alarm at the wolf threat
- The driver "was not in the least" alarmed, which creates the intended contrast
- Fits the context of danger and fear perfectly
Offended
- This would mean the driver was not insulted or upset about something
- Nothing in the passage suggests offense or insult
- Wolves howling is not something that would offend someone - it is something that would scare them
Interrupted
- This would mean the driver's activities were not stopped or disrupted
- But the focus is not on interrupted activities - it is on emotional reaction to threat
- Students might think of "disturbed" meaning interrupted from the phrase "do not disturb," but context shows this is about fear, not interruption