Maya Angelou had already earned widespread recognition through her autobiographical works and poetry readings across university campuses by the early...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Maya Angelou had already earned widespread recognition through her autobiographical works and poetry readings across university campuses by the early 1990s. Her selection as the inaugural poet for President Clinton's 1993 inauguration created unexpected ______ around her role as a voice for American experience: the nationally televised reading of "On the Pulse of Morning" sparked intense debate about the intersection of poetry and politics, dividing critics who questioned whether ceremonial verse could maintain artistic integrity.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
acclaim
controversy
anonymity
indifference
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Maya Angelou had already earned widespread recognition through her autobiographical works and poetry readings across university campuses by the early 1990s." |
|
| "Her selection as the inaugural poet for President Clinton's 1993 inauguration created unexpected ______" |
|
| "around her role as a voice for American experience:" |
|
| "the nationally televised reading of 'On the Pulse of Morning' sparked intense debate about the intersection of poetry and politics," |
|
| "dividing critics who questioned whether ceremonial verse could maintain artistic integrity." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Maya Angelou's selection as Clinton's inaugural poet created unexpected division and debate among critics about whether ceremonial poetry could maintain artistic integrity.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Angelou was already well-known, then shows how her inaugural role created an unexpected reaction. This reaction is then detailed through specific evidence: the televised reading sparked intense debate and divided critics who questioned the artistic value of ceremonial verse.
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
- From our analysis, we know that Angelou's selection for the inauguration created something "unexpected"
- The passage then explains this through evidence: the reading "sparked intense debate" and "divided critics" who questioned artistic integrity
- The missing word needs to describe a negative or divisive reaction that would be unexpected for someone who already had widespread recognition
- The relationship we need is: established fame → inaugural selection → unexpected [negative reaction] → evidence of division and debate
- The right answer should describe some form of division, disagreement, or heated discussion that would be surprising given her established reputation
acclaim
- Acclaim means praise and approval
- This wouldn't be "unexpected" since she already had "widespread recognition"
- Contradicts the evidence of "intense debate" and "divided critics"
controversy
- Controversy perfectly matches the evidence: "intense debate" and "divided critics"
- Would be unexpected because she already had positive recognition
- Creates logical flow: established fame → surprising controversy → evidence of division
anonymity
- Anonymity means being unknown or unrecognized
- Makes no sense since the reading was "nationally televised"
- Contradicts her existing "widespread recognition"
indifference
- Indifference means lack of interest or concern
- Directly contradicts "intense debate" - you can't have both indifference and intense debate