For a words-in-context question, identify the full relationship established by the passage before evaluating the choices. Then compare the scope of each option: several words may match one detail, but the correct choice must precisely describe the complete process or idea surrounding the blank.
Hints
- Hint 1
Follow the sequence
Notice what the category affects and what the resulting acquisitions affect in turn.
- Hint 2
Consider the entire process
Distinguish between a process that merely grows, remains temporary, filters choices, or develops through a continuing feedback pattern.
Step-by-step
- Step 1
Trace the process
An existing category influences what the museum acquires. The new acquisitions can then reveal problems with that category and cause it to be revised.
- Step 2
Identify the relationship
Cataloging therefore occurs through repeated stages: classifications affect the collection, and the changed collection affects later classifications.
- Step 3
Choose the precise word
“Iterative” describes a process repeated in stages, often with each stage incorporating information produced by earlier ones. It precisely captures the pattern described in the passage.