Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about detective Sherlock Holmes were published between 1887 and 1927. They have inspired countless successful adaptations...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about detective Sherlock Holmes were published between 1887 and 1927. They have inspired countless successful adaptations, including comic strips, movies, and a television series Sherlock Hound, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who is celebrated for his animated movies. Until 2014, these stories were copyrighted. The right to adapt was only available to those who could afford the copyright fee and gain approval from the strict copyright holders of Doyle's estate. Some journalists predict that the number of Sherlock Holmes adaptations is likely to increase since the end of copyright means that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about detective Sherlock Holmes were published between 1887 and 1927." |
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| "They have inspired countless successful adaptations, including comic strips, movies, and a television series Sherlock Hound, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who is celebrated for his animated movies." |
|
| "Until 2014, these stories were copyrighted." |
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| "The right to adapt was only available to those who could afford the copyright fee and gain approval from the strict copyright holders of Doyle's estate." |
|
| "Some journalists predict that the number of Sherlock Holmes adaptations is likely to increase since the end of copyright means that ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The end of copyright protection for Sherlock Holmes stories in 2014 is expected to lead to more adaptations.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Holmes stories have always inspired adaptations, then explains how copyright created barriers (fees and approval requirements), and concludes with a prediction that more adaptations will come now that these barriers are removed.
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 clearly establishes that copyright created barriers - people had to pay fees and get approval from strict copyright holders
- Now that copyright has ended, these barriers should be gone
- So the right answer should explain how the removal of these barriers affects adaptation creation
- This suggests the original stories will become scarce, but the passage is about adaptations, not availability of original stories
- Copyright ending doesn't make original texts harder to find
- This is about people's interest level in detective stories
- The passage doesn't suggest interest has changed - it shows adaptations have always been popular
- This directly addresses the barriers mentioned in the passage
- Before: expensive fees + strict approval process
- After: no fees + no approval needed = easier and less expensive
- This perfectly explains why journalists predict MORE adaptations
- Copyright ending doesn't require returning previously collected fees
- This doesn't logically explain why there would be more adaptations