By 1936, Spanish Romani dancer Carmen Amaya was known all over Spain for her powerful style of flamenco dancing. However,...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
By 1936, Spanish Romani dancer Carmen Amaya was known all over Spain for her powerful style of flamenco dancing. However, in July of that year, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War made it difficult for her to perform in her home country. ______ Amaya left Spain to perform abroad, dancing for audiences across North and South America.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
In comparison,
As a result,
First of all,
For example,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "By 1936, Spanish Romani dancer Carmen Amaya was known all over Spain for her powerful style of flamenco dancing." |
|
| "However, in July of that year, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War made it difficult for her to perform in her home country." |
|
| "Amaya left Spain to perform abroad, dancing for audiences across North and South America." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Carmen Amaya's response to the Spanish Civil War was to leave her home country and perform internationally.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Amaya's fame in Spain, then presents the civil war as an obstacle to her career there. The missing transition should logically connect this problem to her decision to perform abroad instead.
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
- Looking at our passage analysis, we need a transition that connects the civil war making it "difficult for her to perform in her home country" to "Amaya left Spain to perform abroad."
- This is clearly a cause-and-effect relationship - the war created a problem, and leaving Spain was her logical response to that problem.
- The right transition should show that her departure was a consequence of the difficult situation created by the war.
In comparison,
"In comparison,"
✗ Incorrect
- This phrase introduces a comparison between two things.
- We're not comparing Amaya's situation to anything else - we're showing how she responded to a specific problem.
As a result,
"As a result,"
✓ Correct
- This phrase indicates cause and effect.
- Perfectly connects the cause (civil war making performance difficult) to the effect (leaving Spain).
- Matches our prethinking exactly - shows her departure was the logical consequence of the war.
First of all,
"First of all,"
✗ Incorrect
- This phrase introduces the first item in a series or list.
- There's no indication of multiple points or a sequence being presented.
- The passage gives one response to one problem, not a list of actions.
For example,
"For example,"
✗ Incorrect
- This phrase introduces a specific instance of a general concept.
- Leaving Spain isn't an example of the war making things difficult - it's her response to that difficulty.