#7 - Concept Reference, Must Be True, Purpose/Function

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[Fightforthat170]

Hi yall,

Sadly I chose B instead of A for this question. My question is: why is A a better answer than B?

To me, the author's discussion of Hackley primarily serves to illustrate the "artistic situation in Detroit in 1969s."

I can see the support for A from the sentence "The roots of this program reached back to the turn of the century, when a trained soprano and Detroit native named..." But that is just one sentence indicating the "existence of a LONG-STANDING tradition..." The rest of the paragraph, to me, sounds more like emphasizing the goodness the program brings, which I interpreted it to be emphasizing "the specific type of musical education that was provided in Detroit public schools." Even though it doesn't match the phrase "specific type" perfectly, but I think I could see some interpret it that way. Thus I picked B over A.

I would appreciate any help from anyone! Please show me your thought process!

[atierney]

Hello,

Yes, the reason you would go with A here over B is because we're looking specifically at the discussion of the person reference rather than the paragraph as a whole. I agree with you that the paragraph, taken as a whole, might have within it, reference to the specific type of musical education that was provided in the schools at the time of Motown's rise to success, yet the reference to Hackley was clearly to emphasize the tradition of the musical education, since Hackley preceded Motown by at least fifty years ("turn of the century"). In other words (hopefully more understandable ones), Hackley got the ball rolling, and the kids of the 60's went and dance with it!

Let me know if you have further questions on this.

[sidneythomas1222@gmail.com]

Hi Powerscore,

I chose C because the mention of Hackley, who adopted the program as her personal mission, led to a discussion of how nearly all of Motown's musicians, producers, etc., have been influenced by the music programs. Upon revisiting the question/this answer choice, the word "directly" stands out to me. Would this have been a better answer had the word "indirectly" been used instead?

[Adam Tyson]

You bet it would, Sidney! It's that "directly" that really kills that answer choice! Given the long time difference (Hackley was doing her work at the turn of the century, so almost 60 years before Motown Records was founded), it seems likely that Hackley's influence was primarily indirect rather than direct, at least for a lot of the young musicians who Motown employed.

Also consider that the question is asking about the primary effect of the reference to Hackley, and a good prephrase here would probably be more about showing one of the factors that led to Motown's success, rather than what influenced the musicians themselves. It's that long-standing musical tradition that contributed to that success, according to the first sentence of the third paragraph. That's another, albeit secondary, problem that I see with answer C.

[Fightforthat170]

Hello,

Yes, the reason you would go with A here over B is because we're looking specifically at the discussion of the person reference rather than the paragraph as a whole. I agree with you that the paragraph, taken as a whole, might have within it, reference to the specific type of musical education that was provided in the schools at the time of Motown's rise to success, yet the reference to Hackley was clearly to emphasize the tradition of the musical education, since Hackley preceded Motown by at least fifty years ("turn of the century"). In other words (hopefully more understandable ones), Hackley got the ball rolling, and the kids of the 60's went and dance with it!

Let me know if you have further questions on this.

Thank you! I totally skipped over the subtlety that "turn of the century" sneaked in there!! That makes much more sense!