Question

Mr. matthews' living room was filled with paintings, photographs, and knickknacks from the philippines. __________, he had never been to the philippines and couldn't explain to visitors the reason why he was so fascinated with the place.

Answer 1

Strangely:

Mr. Matthews' living room was filled with paintings, photographs, and knickknacks from the Philippines. Strangely, he had never been to the Philippines and couldn't explain to visitors the reason why he was so fascinated with the place.

Answer 2

The proper word to fill in this blank would be "strangely." Since the two sentences are negatively related, we're looking for a word that shows such a relation. "Strangely" fits this since it shows that the second concept, while related to the first, is at odds with the first's premise.