The following text is adapted from a 1925 report by educator Helen Parkhurst on progressive teaching methods. She is discussing...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from a 1925 report by educator Helen Parkhurst on progressive teaching methods. She is discussing why traditional approaches fail modern students.
"The old system of mechanical drilling, while it may have suited previous generations, no longer serves the needs of today's learner. Modern education requires critical thinking and adaptability that rote memorization cannot foster."
As used in the text, what does the word "serves" most nearly mean?
Fulfills
Assists
Benefits
Honors
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The old system of mechanical drilling, while it may have suited previous generations," |
|
| "no longer serves the needs of today's learner." |
|
| "Modern education requires critical thinking and adaptability that rote memorization cannot foster." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Traditional mechanical drilling methods that worked for previous generations are inadequate for today's students who need critical thinking skills.
Argument Flow: The passage acknowledges that old teaching methods had past success, then argues they're insufficient now, and supports this by explaining what modern education actually requires—skills that traditional drilling cannot develop.
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, "serves" appears in a sentence about whether the old system meets or satisfies the needs of today's learners
- The author is saying the old system used to work for past students but doesn't meet the requirements of current students
- In this context, "serves" means something like "meets" or "satisfies" or "fulfills" the needs
Fulfills
- "Fulfills" means to satisfy or meet requirements completely
- This matches perfectly with our context—the passage argues that old drilling methods don't fulfill what today's students need
Assists
- "Assists" means to help or support
- This doesn't capture the full meaning—the passage isn't saying the old system doesn't help today's learners; it's saying it completely fails to meet their needs
Benefits
- "Benefits" means to be advantageous to or to help
- Similar to "assists," this doesn't capture the complete inadequacy the author is describing
Honors
- "Honors" means to show respect or to fulfill an obligation in a ceremonial way
- This doesn't make sense in context—we're not talking about showing respect to students' needs