12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition 2025 - Day 5: Artistic director

after Blank 1 _ compares the current lead and seasoned touring lead. before the blank, the director is finding a way to manage the uncertainity regarding his play.

so blank 1 is considering a solution

Blank 2- Is preceded by a in addition..hence he is trying to justify his suggestion. hence the financial gains achieved through this decision must be considered

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19 Dec 2025, 14:08

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Before the balnk -1 , it talks about a pattern- the patterns corresponds to the pervious sentence- missed shows and demand of the role - And to solve this problem we should reduce load on lead- only option-3 clearly says this
Blank- 2 talks about some additional measures as can be said by the additional premise indicator before the blank(In addition) and that corresponds to the previous sentence as to why we should be hiring a seasoned touring lead- Only option 6 clearly specifies that

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19 Dec 2025, 15:29

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We need a plan and somewhat of a reason to support the plan. The author is arguing that lead actor has missed shows and that a seasoned touring lead is likely to perform consistently.

statement 1, plan: option B, plan to replace lead with seasoned lead (however the use of word "the" is kind of wrong , since it means it is referring to the seasoned lead but it is not mentioned at this point)

statement 2, reason: Option E gives the rationale besides the rationale mentioned in the previous statement (better stamina) and it is cost related because cancellations won't happen.

ans: B, E

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Quote:

In recent weeks, our box office results have suffered because we have had to cancel or reschedule more performances than usual. A recurring reason is that the lead actor has missed shows after his voice gave out under the demands of the role. Given this pattern, ___1___. Our current lead has better vocal technique than many actors we could hire for the role, but this particular part requires unusual stamina, and a seasoned touring lead is more likely to perform consistently. In addition, ___2___.

(1) indicates a solution to the problem of performances cancelling/rescheduling, which is caused by the main actor's incapability to perform. The solutions point to hiring seasoned touring leads, therefore "we should replace the current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead" should be the best choice.

(2) provides a support for the solution in (1), which should be relevant to the problem in the question stem and thus should address the problem of cancellations and last-minute replacements. "hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead" should be enough of a reason to choose this answer.

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19 Dec 2025, 21:04

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There have been cancellations because the lead actor cannot keep up with the demands of the role.
Given this pattern, _1_
Our current lead has better technique, but this part requires much stamina so that a seasoned touring lead can perform more consistently.
In addition, _2_

So 1 should mention about the solution to the current lead actor and 2 should provide information to support hiring a seasoned touring lead.

Scan the options:
- we should reduce ticket prices to compensate patrons for the inconvenience of cancellations and rescheduling => this is INCORRECT because this will not solve anything since the current actor cannot meet the demands.

- we should replace the current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead => CORRECT for 1 since the paragraph indicates that the seasoned touring lead is more suitable for this role

- we should replace the production with one that does not depend on a single lead role => even replace the show with two lead roles, the office still need to hire someone else

- when costs of hiring and onboarding a new lead actor are considered, keeping the current lead is less expensive than hiring the seasoned touring lead => INCORRECT because this does not support the idea that the office should hire seasoned lead

- when costs from cancellations and last minutes replacements are considered, keeping the current lead is less expensive than hiring the seasoned touring lead => again this is INCORRECT because this does not seasoned lead

- when costs from cancellations and last minutes replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead => CORRECT for 2 because even with cancellation cost, hiring the seasoned lead with higher stamina is less costly than the current lead that failed to keep up with the show

Bunuel

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19 Dec 2025, 21:42

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The author gives us 2 blank positions, or consider it like this, we are listening to the author and noting word to word, but we missed 2 points but have noted everything else. Now we have to give these notes to the author.

The author basically said our box-office collection has been affected, and the reason for this is because of the current lead situation. In the first blank, the author has given a suggestion, and then he presented why he thinks this suggestion should be implemented, giving us a hint about a seasoned touring lead. But again, the additional part is missed out.

So for Blank 1, we have to find suggestions in relation to seasoned lead, and in the blank 2, why he should be considered.

From the table option B and F are suitable for blank 1 and blank 2, respectively.

Bunuel

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19 Dec 2025, 23:16

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Blank 1 :
We should replace the current lead actor with seasoned touring lead

Blank 2 :
When costs from cancellations and last minute replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current role.

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19 Dec 2025, 23:56

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for (1) "we should replace the current lead actor with a seasoned touring lead"
----- Why: The sentence leading upto the blank tells us that the current lead is inconsistent and the sentence right after the blank suggests replacing the current lead with a seasoned touring lead.
For (2) "when costs from cancellations and last min replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead"
--- The final blank start's with "in addition,..." which suggests we need another reason to support the replacement which the above does.

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20 Dec 2025, 00:05

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We are supposed to find the statements which fit the two blanks logically.

For the first blank, we can deduce that it has to introduce the idea of a touring lead and also some comparison as to why the lead would be better than the lead actor, given that the prior statement talks about a disadvantage of hiring a lead actor. From the answer options, only 1,2, and 3 are contenders for the first blank.

The first blank will not fit in as we are not concerned with the compensation for the delays, but rather about the limitations of the lead actor

The second blank is a proper fit as it introduces the idea of a touring lead and mentions replacement with the lead actor.

The third might also fit here, but given the statements that follow after the first blank, the emphasis is not on production change and only the lead change.

For the second blank, we need a premise that supports the idea that a touring lead is indeed required in place of a lead actor.

Among options 4,5,6, it can be very clearly seen that only 6 acts a premise by presenting an advantage of touring lead whereas options 4 and 5 does the exact opposite.

Therefore, 1 - we should replace the current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead (option B)

2 - when costs from cancellations and last minute replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead (option E)

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20 Dec 2025, 00:05

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Statement 1:reducing ticket price
Logical flow: Lot of cancellations and interruptions -> a pattern is built -> compensate patron for the inconveniences caused

Now that we have compensated -> we identify current lead is great a vocal training -> but we recognize the fact that seasoned touring would be good given the experience

ALSO -> since we already compensation for cancellations -> let's consider hiring some seasoned lead who will be less expensive than current lead

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20 Dec 2025, 00:07

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It's an Classic Argument based Question. Let's break the Argument into pieces and try to fill the blanks from the options. Starting from In recent weeks to demands to role , this set is acting as context part. Post this , Artistic director wants to make a conclusion. This sense is getting from Modifiers/Keywords , "Given this pattern". The conclusion should be something like replacing current lead with someone. So we identified that there is an option that fits perfectly which says that the current lead should be replaced with touring lead. Now how I get that it will be touring lead. Read the next part. It says our current lead has better vocal technique than many actors we could hire for the role but this requires stamina which touring lead can play it perfectly. So this is acting as premise to the conclusion. From this I came to the option and rejecting other options.

Now let's fill second blank. It starts with In addition , which means providing an additional premise , let's find a option which can act as an additional premise supporting the conclusion. Hurray , we get an option which states that if we consider Re scheduling and cancelling expenses , keeping touring lead is less expensive than keeping current lead. Rest bottom options are quite opposite to this. So final answer is :

Blank 1 : The current lead should be replaced with touring lead

Blank 2 : If Re scheduling and cancelling expenses are considered , then keeping touring lead is less expensive than keeping current lead.

Bunuel

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20 Dec 2025, 00:56

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We have to fill the blank 1 & 2.

The passage explains the issue of cancellation/rescheduling of performances of the present lead actor due to issues with the lead actor. So Blank one shall be anything which talks about replacement of present lead actor as later part speaks for hiring of other actor.
So any one between option 2 & 3 will be correct. Option 2 seems correct as it talks about replacement of current lead actor with a seasoned actor.
So option 2 is correct for Blank 1

Passage further points out that current lead actor is better than many other actors that can be hired. But the role requires unusual stamina which only seasoned actor will have. Blank 2 should have some statement explaining benefits of seasoned actor over current lead actor. So any option from 4,5,6
Option 6 hiring seasoned actor is less expensive than current lead actor explains the benefits of seasoned actor.
So option 6 for Blank 2.

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20 Dec 2025, 01:44

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Bunuel

This TPA, is fill in the blanks type verbal question,

Premises:
Artistic director: In recent weeks, our box office results have suffered because we have had to cancel or reschedule more performances than usual.
A recurring reason is that the lead actor has missed shows after his voice gave out under the demands of the role.

In the first blank, we need to fill some sort of a decision, for which next sentence gives support, Our current lead has better vocal technique than many actors we could hire for the role, but this particular part requires unusual stamina, and a seasoned touring lead is more likely to perform consistently.

These 3 are decisions:
we should reduce ticket prices to compensate patrons for the inconvenience of cancellations and rescheduling
we should replace the current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead
we should replace the production with one that does not depend on a single lead role

out of which only second fits the blank, because next statement supports it.

In the second blank we need to add additional support for we should replace the current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead

Among the remaining options:
when costs of hiring and onboarding a new lead actor are considered, keeping the current lead is less expensive than hiring the seasoned touring lead
when costs from cancellations and last minute replacements are considered, keeping the current lead is less expensive than hiring the seasoned touring lead
when costs from cancellations and last minute replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead

Only last option makes sense, other statements go against our decision.

1	2
		we should reduce ticket prices to compensate patrons for the inconvenience of cancellations and rescheduling
C		we should replace the current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead
		we should replace the production with one that does not depend on a single lead role
		when costs of hiring and onboarding a new lead actor are considered, keeping the current lead is less expensive than hiring the seasoned touring lead
		when costs from cancellations and last minute replacements are considered, keeping the current lead is less expensive than hiring the seasoned touring lead
	C	when costs from cancellations and last minute replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead

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20 Dec 2025, 02:41

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TPA non math are very simple, only going through options take time. In htis question I would recommend going through whole stimulus and identifying the structure that the blanks need. Try to figure out the tone required for the blank space from the sentence prior and after it.
For 1, we need something which is a negative effect of the lead actor missing shows, but what exactly?
We can figure that out ny reading next statement i.e. about seasonal touring lead over current lead actor.
For 2, we can see the word "In addition" prior to it, meaning we need to give a premise that is kind of a support or in line with prior statement.

Bunuel

Therefore, for 1, it's, "We need to replace current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead."
& for 2, it's,"When cost from cancellations and last minute replacements are considered, hiring a seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead."

All the other options can be rejected because they don't match the tone and conditions I mentioned above.
Hope this helps,
Thanks

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20 Dec 2025, 03:04

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Bunuel

So what do we have in stimulus :

Box office is suffering because the lead actor's voice gives out
The role require unusual stamina and seasoned actor is going to perform more consistently

In statement 1 :

Statement 1 should be main conclusion drawn from the pattern described

Logical conclusion is : Replace current lead with a seasoned touring lead : Statement 1

in statement 2:

this Statement should justify our main conclusion

So statement 2 : when cost from cancellation and last minute replacement are considered, hiring seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead.

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20 Dec 2025, 03:44

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The issue is with the last minute changes by lead actors in demand, given this pattern "we should replace the current lead with the seasoned touring lead" (addresses the cause).
"when costs from cancellations and last minute replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring leas is leas expensive".... (This states the justification for option 1 selection).

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20 Dec 2025, 04:17

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The paragraphs argument is on replacing the current lead actor due to cancellations because of vocal issues.
Statement 1 I chose B because it supports replacing the lead with a more experienced touring lead.
Statement 2 I chose F because it justifies that decision based on cost savings from fewer cancellations.

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20 Dec 2025, 05:30

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Artistic director: In recent weeks, our box office results have suffered because we have had to cancel or reschedule more performances than usual. A recurring reason is that the lead actor has missed shows after his voice gave out under the demands of the role. Given this pattern, ___1___. Our current lead has better vocal technique than many actors we could hire for the role, but this particular part requires unusual stamina, and a seasoned touring lead is more likely to perform consistently. In addition, ___2___.

Just after blank 1, the argument compares vocal techniques and says this job particularly required unusual stamina and a seasoned touring lead is more likely to perform consistently. According, this we need to fill something in blank 1 that talks about replacing the current main lead with seasoned touring lead who has good stamina and consistency. From the provided choices-
we should replace the current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead
This is the most suitable

Just before blank 2, it says in addition, means we need to add some advantage of season turing lead in this blank and from given choices - when costs from and last minute replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead - is the best option.

1- we should replace the current lead actor with the seasoned touring lead
2- when costs from and last minute replacements are considered, hiring the seasoned touring lead is less expensive than keeping the current lead

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20 Dec 2025, 05:36

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Bunuel