The following text is from Dr. Maria Santos's 2019 research journal. After months of data collection for her study on...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Dr. Maria Santos's 2019 research journal. After months of data collection for her study on urban air quality, she reflects on the final stages of her project.
The laboratory had been her second home for the better part of a year, filled with air sample containers and measurement devices that had become as familiar as old friends. Now, as she prepared the final dataset for peer review, she felt both exhaustion and anticipation. The countless hours of analysis would soon bear fruit, and she eagerly awaited completing the research that had consumed so much of her attention.
As used in the text, what does the word "completing" most nearly mean?
Finishing
Abandoning
Publishing
Revising
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The laboratory had been her second home for the better part of a year, filled with air sample containers and measurement devices that had become as familiar as old friends." |
|
| "Now, as she prepared the final dataset for peer review, she felt both exhaustion and anticipation." |
|
| "The countless hours of analysis would soon bear fruit, and she eagerly awaited completing the research that had consumed so much of her attention." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Santos is at the final stage of her year-long air quality research project and eagerly anticipates finishing the work that has consumed her attention.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from establishing Dr. Santos's long-term dedication to her laboratory work, to her current position preparing final data for peer review, to her emotional anticipation of completing this all-consuming research project.
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 our analysis, Dr. Santos has been working on this research for about a year, she's now preparing the final dataset for peer review, and she "eagerly awaited completing the research."
- In this context, "completing" refers to bringing her long research project to its end point - she's been working on it extensively and is now ready to wrap it up.
- The word suggests bringing something to its final conclusion after sustained effort.
- So the right answer should convey the idea of bringing a long-term project to its final conclusion or end point.
Finishing
✓ Correct
- "Finishing" perfectly captures the sense of bringing her year-long research project to its conclusion
- Matches exactly with our passage analysis showing she's at the final stage, preparing final data for peer review
- Aligns with the context of eager anticipation to conclude work that has "consumed so much of her attention"
Abandoning
✗ Incorrect
- "Abandoning" means giving up or quitting something
- Contradicts the entire passage context - she's preparing final data for peer review, not quitting
Publishing
✗ Incorrect
- "Publishing" refers to making research publicly available
- While publishing might happen later, the passage focuses on completing the research work itself, not the publication process
Revising
✗ Incorrect
- "Revising" means making changes or corrections
- The passage suggests she's moving toward conclusion, not continuing to make changes