Traditional Italian pasta-making requires specific techniques that have been passed down through generations. Chef Maria Rossi operates an authentic I...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Traditional Italian pasta-making requires specific techniques that have been passed down through generations. Chef Maria Rossi operates an authentic Italian restaurant and insists that her pasta be made fresh daily using traditional hand-rolling methods rather than machine production. The pasta-making process takes significantly more time and labor than using automated equipment. Chef Rossi maintains these traditional methods in order to ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
reduce the overall cost of pasta production in her restaurant.
preserve the authentic texture and flavor that customers expect from genuine Italian cuisine.
train her kitchen staff in various cooking techniques from different cultures.
demonstrate that Italian cooking is more difficult than other types of cuisine.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Traditional Italian pasta-making requires specific techniques that have been passed down through generations." |
|
| "Chef Maria Rossi operates an authentic Italian restaurant and insists that her pasta be made fresh daily using traditional hand-rolling methods rather than machine production." |
|
| "The pasta-making process takes significantly more time and labor than using automated equipment." |
|
| "Chef Rossi maintains these traditional methods in order to ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Chef Rossi chooses traditional pasta-making methods despite their higher cost in time and labor, and we need to determine her logical reason.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that traditional Italian pasta-making involves specific inherited techniques, then introduces Chef Rossi as someone who insists on using these traditional hand-rolling methods in her authentic restaurant. It emphasizes that her choice comes with significant cost, leading to the question of why she would accept this burden.
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 passage emphasizes "authentic Italian restaurant" and "traditional techniques passed down through generations"
- Despite extra costs, she maintains these practices
- The logical reason would be that traditional methods produce something valuable that machines cannot
- Likely related to quality and authenticity that customers expect from genuine Italian cuisine
reduce the overall cost of pasta production in her restaurant.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims she uses traditional methods to reduce costs
- This contradicts the passage which states traditional methods take significantly more time and labor than automated equipment
preserve the authentic texture and flavor that customers expect from genuine Italian cuisine.
✓ Correct
- States she maintains traditional methods to preserve authentic texture and flavor expected from genuine Italian cuisine
- This connects to the passage's emphasis on authentic restaurant and traditional techniques, explaining why extra effort is worthwhile
train her kitchen staff in various cooking techniques from different cultures.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests using pasta-making to train staff in cultural techniques
- The passage focuses on Italian pasta traditions, not diverse cultural training, and doesn't explain why traditional methods would be better for training
demonstrate that Italian cooking is more difficult than other types of cuisine.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims she wants to demonstrate Italian cooking difficulty
- The passage doesn't compare cuisines and misses the point about preserving authentic quality