Question

1. in what ways does the subject of the painting is coldly stern? i would not call her countenance beautiful. the young woman’s gaze is steady and a slight smile tugs at her lips, seeming a sort of concession. yet she seems to have no eyebrows or eyelashes. eyes set extremely wide. you see the point in study of a young woman, vermeer seems to be more interested in individual and revealing aspects of his subject’s character and expression rather than representing conventional forms of beauty. 9. the painting itself, however, is beautiful. there is a gradual transition from light to shadow on the young woman’s face which is echoed by the subtle shifts of tone in the folds of cloth draped over her shoulder. vermeer’s exploration of the effect of light on this extraordinary face creates the sense that he has somehow illuminated a dream of moving beyond mere beauty toward a more authentic engagement with the world. 9. which transition word or phrase is most logical in context? a no change b however, c therefore, d in the meantime,

Explanation:

To determine the most logical transition, we analyze the context. The previous sentence states "Eyes set extremely wide" and the next part discusses Vermeer's interest in the subject's character. The word "however" (option B) introduces a contrast, but let's check the flow. Wait, actually, the original text's flow: the first part talks about the eyes, then the next part shifts to Vermeer's interest in character over beauty. Wait, no, let's re - examine. The sentence before the blank: "Eyes set extremely wide" and the next: "Vermeer seems to be more interested in...". Wait, maybe the correct approach is to see the logical connection. The option "however" (B) would create a contrast, but let's check the options. Wait, the question is which transition is most logical. Let's analyze each option:

• Option A: "NO CHANGE" – if the original text (before the blank) and after don't need a transition, but the context suggests a contrast or a new thought.
• Option B: "however" – shows contrast. The first part describes the eyes, then the next part says Vermeer is more interested in character, so a contrast between the physical description and his interest.
• Option C: "therefore" – shows cause - effect, which doesn't fit here as the eyes' description doesn't cause his interest in character.
• Option D: "in the meantime" – suggests a time - related transition, which is not relevant here.

So the most logical transition is "however" (B) as it contrasts the physical feature description with Vermeer's deeper interest in the subject's character.

Answer:

B. however