Few New Yorkers have heard Thelma Pollard's name. ________ many have seen her work in the famous Broadway musical The...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Few New Yorkers have heard Thelma Pollard's name. ________ many have seen her work in the famous Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera. As the musical's longtime makeup supervisor, Pollard put the iconic makeup on the face of the Phantom himself.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Similarly,
Therefore,
For example,
However,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Few New Yorkers have heard Thelma Pollard's name." |
|
| "______" |
|
| "many have seen her work in the famous Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera." |
|
| "As the musical's longtime makeup supervisor, Pollard put the iconic makeup on the face of the Phantom himself." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While Thelma Pollard isn't famous by name, her work as The Phantom of the Opera's makeup supervisor has been seen by many people.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Pollard is unknown by name, then contrasts this with the fact that many people have actually seen her work. It concludes by explaining her specific role that made this possible.
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 transition must connect two contrasting ideas: she's unknown by name vs. her work is widely seen
- We need a word that shows contrast or opposition between these two statements
- The relationship is: "She's not famous BUT her work is well-known"
- So the right answer should show contrast between being unknown personally but having visible work.
Similarly,
✗ Incorrect
- "Similarly" suggests the second statement is like the first
- This would mean both statements show she's unknown, but the second statement actually shows she IS known through her work
- Creates illogical flow since the ideas are opposite, not similar
Therefore,
✗ Incorrect
- "Therefore" suggests the second statement is a result of the first
- This would mean her work being widely seen is because few know her name, which makes no logical sense
- The relationship is contrast, not cause-and-effect
For example,
✗ Incorrect
- "For example" suggests the second statement provides a specific instance of the first
- This would mean seeing her work is an example of not knowing her name, which is contradictory
- The second statement shows the opposite of the first, not an example of it
However,
✓ Correct
- "However" signals a contrast between two opposing ideas
- Perfectly captures the relationship: she's unknown by name, BUT many have seen her work
- Creates the logical flow from personal obscurity to professional visibility