The work of molecular biophysicist Enrique M. De La Cruz is known for ______ traditional boundaries between academic disciplines. The...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The work of molecular biophysicist Enrique M. De La Cruz is known for ______ traditional boundaries between academic disciplines. The university laboratory that De La Cruz runs includes engineers, biologists, chemists, and physicists, and the research the lab produces makes use of insights and techniques from all those fields.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The work of molecular biophysicist Enrique M. De La Cruz is known for' |
|
| '[MISSING WORD/PHRASE]' |
|
| 'traditional boundaries between academic disciplines.' |
|
| 'The university laboratory that De La Cruz runs includes engineers, biologists, chemists, and physicists,' |
|
| 'and the research the lab produces makes use of insights and techniques from all those fields.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: De La Cruz's work operates across multiple academic disciplines rather than staying within traditional field boundaries.
Argument Flow: The passage makes a claim about how De La Cruz's work relates to disciplinary boundaries, then supports this with evidence showing his lab includes people from multiple fields and his research draws from all of them.
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 evidence shows that De La Cruz's lab deliberately includes people from different academic disciplines and that their research intentionally draws insights and techniques from all these fields
- This suggests his work doesn't stay within traditional academic boundaries but instead goes beyond them or crosses over them
- The missing word should indicate that his work moves beyond, crosses over, or breaks through the usual divisions between academic fields
- 'Epitomizing' means being a perfect example of something
- This would mean his work perfectly represents traditional boundaries, which contradicts the evidence
- The evidence shows his work combines multiple fields, not that it exemplifies separation between them
- 'Transcending' means going beyond or rising above limits
- This perfectly matches how his work operates across multiple disciplines
- The lab's interdisciplinary composition and research approach demonstrate moving beyond traditional field divisions
- 'Anticipating' means expecting or predicting future events
- This doesn't make logical sense - work can't 'anticipate' boundaries
- 'Reinforcing' means strengthening or supporting existing structures
- This is the opposite of what the evidence shows
- His interdisciplinary approach weakens rather than strengthens traditional boundaries