The following text is adapted from a 2019 research study on coral reef ecosystems.When ocean temperatures rise gradually, individual coral...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from a 2019 research study on coral reef ecosystems.
When ocean temperatures rise gradually, individual coral polyps begin releasing their symbiotic algae. As this process continues, entire reef sections become fused into a single bleached expanse, much like the consolidation of separate tributaries into one unified river system.
As used in the text, what does the word "fused" most nearly mean?
Merged
Destroyed
Identified
Heated
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "When ocean temperatures rise gradually, individual coral polyps begin releasing their symbiotic algae." |
|
| "As this process continues, entire reef sections become fused into a single bleached expanse," |
|
| "much like the consolidation of separate tributaries into one unified river system." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Rising ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching, where separate reef sections combine into one large bleached area.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with the environmental trigger (temperature rise), shows the initial biological response (algae release), then describes how this process scales up (reef sections fusing together), and provides a river analogy to help visualize this consolidation process.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The meaning of the word "fused" as it's used in this specific context.
What type of answer do we need? A synonym or definition that captures how "fused" functions in this particular sentence about coral reefs.
Any limiting keywords? "As used in the text" tells us we need to focus on the contextual meaning, not just any definition of "fused."
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- From our analysis, we see that "fused" describes what happens when separate reef sections become one single bleached expanse
- The key clue is the analogy that immediately follows - "much like the consolidation of separate tributaries into one unified river system"
- This analogy shows us that multiple separate things are coming together to form one unified thing
- The word we're looking for should capture this idea of separate parts combining or coming together into one unit
Merged
✓ Correct
- "Merged" perfectly captures the meaning here - separate reef sections combining into one single expanse
- This matches our river analogy exactly: tributaries merge to form a unified river system
Destroyed
✗ Incorrect
- "Destroyed" focuses on damage rather than combination
- While coral bleaching does involve harm, the sentence emphasizes how sections come together, not how they're damaged
Identified
✗ Incorrect
- "Identified" means recognized or discovered
- This doesn't make sense in context - reef sections aren't being identified as a single expanse, they're actually becoming one
Heated
✗ Incorrect
- "Heated" relates to temperature, which connects to the opening about ocean temperatures rising
- However, "fused" isn't describing the heating process - it's describing the result of the bleaching process