The theater critic had written several harsh reviews of recent productions, developing a reputation for being particularly demanding. However, when...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The theater critic had written several harsh reviews of recent productions, developing a reputation for being particularly demanding. However, when she attended the opening night of the new musical, her _____ was evident in her glowing review the next morning.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
expertise
skepticism
enthusiasm
objectivity
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The theater critic had written several harsh reviews of recent productions, developing a reputation for being particularly demanding." |
|
| "However," |
|
| "when she attended the opening night of the new musical, her ______ was evident in her glowing review the next morning." |
|
Main Point: A typically harsh theater critic departed from her usual demanding approach by writing an unexpectedly glowing review.
Argument Flow: The passage sets up a clear contrast between the critic's established pattern of harsh reviews and her surprisingly positive response to one particular musical, with the blank asking us to identify what quality this positive response revealed.
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 word needs to capture what was evident about the critic based on her glowing review
- We know she is usually harsh and demanding, but "However" signals a contrast
- She wrote a glowing review (very positive), so the blank describes what quality this positive review revealed about her
- The right answer should describe a positive emotional response that contrasts with her usual demanding approach
expertise
- "Expertise" refers to knowledge and skill but doesn't explain the contrast between harsh reviews and a glowing one
skepticism
- "Skepticism" means doubt, which would align with her usual demanding approach, not contrast with it
enthusiasm
- "Enthusiasm" means excitement and creates perfect contrast: demanding/harsh to enthusiastic/positive
- This directly explains why she wrote a glowing review
objectivity
- "Objectivity" means being unbiased and neutral, which doesn't create a meaningful contrast with being demanding