The fossil remains of the individual known as Oase 1, discovered in Romania in 2002, can help paleoanthropologists not only...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The fossil remains of the individual known as Oase 1, discovered in Romania in 2002, can help paleoanthropologists not only ______ steps in the evolution of hominids but also illuminate the Pleistocene epoch generally, revealing important details about the time in which Oase 1 lived.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
exploit
discern
prioritize
yield
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The fossil remains of the individual known as Oase 1, discovered in Romania in 2002,' |
|
| 'can help paleoanthropologists not only' |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| 'steps in the evolution of hominids but also illuminate the Pleistocene epoch generally,' |
|
| 'revealing important details about the time in which Oase 1 lived.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The Oase 1 fossil remains provide valuable scientific insights both for understanding human evolution and for understanding the broader Pleistocene epoch.
Argument Flow: The passage introduces the Oase 1 fossil discovery, then explains its dual scientific value - it helps with understanding evolutionary steps and also provides broader insights about the time period.
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
- Looking at what comes before the blank: 'can help paleoanthropologists not only' - this sets up that the fossils will help scientists do something
- What comes after: 'steps in the evolution of hominids' - this is what the scientists are working with
- The missing word needs to describe what scientists do with evolutionary steps using fossil evidence
- Since we're talking about fossil remains helping scientists understand evolutionary steps, we need a word that means to perceive, understand, or make clear
exploit
✗ Incorrect
- 'Exploit' means to take advantage of or use for selfish gain
- This doesn't fit the scientific context - scientists aren't taking advantage of evolutionary steps
- What trap this represents: Students might confuse 'exploit' with 'explore' or think it simply means 'use'
discern
✓ Correct
- 'Discern' means to perceive clearly or distinguish
- This perfectly fits - fossil remains help scientists clearly perceive and understand the steps in human evolution
- Matches our prethinking about needing a word for clear understanding
prioritize
✗ Incorrect
- 'Prioritize' means to arrange in order of importance
- Scientists aren't ranking evolutionary steps by importance - they're trying to understand them
- This doesn't make logical sense in the context
yield
✗ Incorrect
- 'Yield' means to produce or give way
- Evolutionary steps don't yield to scientists - rather, scientists study the steps
- The meaning doesn't fit the relationship between scientists and evolutionary evidence