#9 - Global Reference, Must Be True, Purpose/Function

[Claire Horan]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (C).

It may at first seem like you can't prephrase for this question, but you can! You can identify each of the author's purposes and attempt to discern what the purposes have in common with each other. Then (only after you have prephrased) read the answer choices for one that, in question form, corresponds most closely with your prephrase. My prephrase is "How/Why did music evolve?" Passage A is about the evolution of language and music, and Passage B explains the evolution of music through mother-infant bonding. The purpose both passages have in common is that they both seek to explain how music evolved.

Answer choice (A): This answer choice is somewhat related to Passage A, but it does not describe the author's main purpose. More importantly, it is unrelated to the author's purpose in Passage B.

Answer choice (B): This answer choice is somewhat related to Passage B, although it places the emphasis on the wrong aspect (i.e., bonding, rather than music). Also, this answer choice does not relate to Passage A.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. It is closest to the prephrase and correctly identifies the purpose that both passages have in common.

Answer choice (D): This answer choice relates to Passage A but not Passage B. Furthermore, it does not identify the main purpose of Passage A.

Answer choice (E): This answer choice relates to Passage A but not Passage B. Like choice D, it does not identify the main purpose of Passage A but rather a phenomenon that is discussed only in passing.

[jona_zx]

I feel like having this as the primary purpose of passage A is quite incomplete (skipping language), passage A even gives more importance to language than music.

[Jeff Wren]

Hi jona,

While Passage A certainly discusses the evolutionary origins of language as well as music and does consider language the more important in terms of natural selection, the passage is trying to answer the question of the origin of music. It just happens that the origin of music turns out to be based on language according to the passage.

One clue that Passage A is really trying to trying to answer the question of the origin of music appears in the description above the passages. It states that "the two passages discuss recent scientific research on music" (my emphasis). Many students do not pay enough attention to, or even completely ignore, the description above the passages. This is a mistake, as the description often provides helpful context to the passages.