In a 1950 memoir, President Harry Truman wrote about his relationship with military leaders during World War II. Truman noted...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
In a 1950 memoir, President Harry Truman wrote about his relationship with military leaders during World War II. Truman noted that he held General George Marshall in the highest regard. This deep respect can be seen when Truman writes, ______
Which quotation from Truman's memoir most effectively illustrates the claim?
"Marshall possessed a wisdom and integrity that commanded not just my confidence, but my genuine admiration. I trusted his judgment above all others in matters of war and peace."
"General Marshall attended our daily briefings with characteristic punctuality. He would arrive each morning at precisely eight o'clock with his prepared reports."
"Marshall had served in the Army for over thirty years before joining my administration. His experience included tours in both Europe and the Pacific theaters."
"I worked closely with Marshall on several critical decisions during the final months of the war, including strategic planning for the Pacific campaign."
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "In a 1950 memoir, President Harry Truman wrote about his relationship with military leaders during World War II." |
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| "Truman noted that he held General George Marshall in the highest regard." |
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| "This deep respect can be seen when Truman writes, ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Truman's memoir shows he had tremendous respect for General Marshall.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Truman wrote about military relationships in WWII, specifically noting his high regard for Marshall, and indicates this respect will be demonstrated through a direct quotation.
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 correct quotation must directly show Truman's deep respect and highest regard for Marshall
- This means we need language that goes beyond just working with Marshall or describing his qualifications
- We need words that show admiration, trust, or reverence - emotional language that demonstrates the depth of Truman's respect
- The quote should use words like "admiration," "trust," "confidence," or similar terms that convey not just professional respect but genuine personal regard
"Marshall possessed a wisdom and integrity that commanded not just my confidence, but my genuine admiration. I trusted his judgment above all others in matters of war and peace."
- Contains explicit language of deep respect: "wisdom and integrity," "commanded my confidence," "genuine admiration"
- Shows the personal nature of Truman's regard with "I trusted his judgment above all others"
- Directly demonstrates both professional and personal high regard
"General Marshall attended our daily briefings with characteristic punctuality. He would arrive each morning at precisely eight o'clock with his prepared reports."
- Describes Marshall's punctuality and professionalism
- Shows respect for work habits but doesn't demonstrate "deep respect" or "highest regard"
- Trap: Students might think professional reliability equals deep personal respect
"Marshall had served in the Army for over thirty years before joining my administration. His experience included tours in both Europe and the Pacific theaters."
- Lists Marshall's military experience and service record
- Provides credentials but doesn't show Truman's personal feelings of respect
- Trap: Students might confuse acknowledging qualifications with expressing deep personal respect
"I worked closely with Marshall on several critical decisions during the final months of the war, including strategic planning for the Pacific campaign."
- Describes their working relationship on strategic decisions
- Shows professional collaboration but not personal admiration or highest regard
- Working closely with someone indicates professional respect but doesn't demonstrate the "deep respect" emphasized