#6 - Specific Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (B).

Answer choice (A):

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

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):


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

[cindymoon14]

Hi,

Could you please explain the difference between the answer choices B and C? I was stuck between the two, and then chose C as my answer. Could you please explain why not C, but B?

Thanks!

[Daniel Stern]

Hi Cindy:

In both B and C, the person taking action wants to reduce costs, just like the "bean counters" mentioned in the passage at line 47.

However, answers B and C differ in the person's motivation for reducing costs.

In B, the movie studio executive imposes the cost reductions to save money and thereby imposes limits on the creative film director, just like the passage's "bean counters" want to save money and thereby restrict the creative perfume makers.

In C, the art institute director imposes the cost reductions because he fears future revenue will decline. This was not the same as the motivation of the "bean counters."

I hope that helps explain why B is the credited response.

Good luck in your studies,
Dan

[theamazingrace]

I was stuck between B and D. Why is D wrong?

Thanks

[Robert Carroll]

Grace,

There is no indication in answer choice (D) that the economically-driven actions will have a negative effect on artistic quality. In the passage, the mercantile motivations of the cynical bean counters cause the art of perfuming to be aesthetically less sound - cost-cutting reduces quality. Similarly, in answer choice (B), the restrictions on the director can reasonably be expected to affect the quality of the film. In answer choice (D), the art seems already to exist, and the act of investing in it won't affect its quality. In fact, maybe by investing in art, the executive is encouraging good art - there's really no particular reason to think the quality will be worse because of the investment decision.

Robert Carroll

[ronaldofenomeno]

Hi, what's wrong with answer E?

[Jeff Wren]

Hi ronaldo,

The first step in answering this question is to refer back to passage and make sure you're clear on exactly who the "cynical bean counters" are and what role they have played in the perfume industry.

The bean counters are the business executives of these large corporations that are currently making most of the perfume (line 47). These business executives are cynical because they don't actually care about the quality of the product they make (perfume), instead they only care about making money. For example, if they can secretly replace an expensive ingredient for a cheaper one, they will do so to save/make money, even if that makes the perfume of lesser quality.

It helps if you know that the term "bean counters" is generally used in a negative way to refer to the people in charge of the money in corporations or governments, who are often portrayed as thrifty/stingy. However, familiarity with this term is not necessary to understand the passage, as the passage context provides the meaning.

It's important to understand that the author of this passage loves perfume and believes it to be an art just as worthy of admiration as paintings and sculptures. In the passage, the cynical bean counters are the "bad guys" as far as the author is concerned because they don't really care about the quality of the perfume.

For this question, you are looking for an answer that follows this role. In other words, look for an answer that describes some sort of business executive who works for a company that makes some sort of artistic product (like perfume) and who makes decisions based on money/costs/profits rather than what would make the highest quality artistic product.

Answer B matches this perfectly. Movies are a form of art (like perfume) that are often made by large corporations (movie studios) that are run by business executives who often make decisions based on money/profits rather than a love of movies.

Answer E is wrong for several reasons. First, an art school dean is not similar to a business executive. Second, there is no indication that the dean is making cynical decisions about art based on what will make the most money for the art school rather than what would make the best art. Here, the dean is shifting money to his pet project, but that is not the same as making decisions for financial gains. His pet project may just be based on the type of art that he wants to promote/focus on for the school, which isn't necessarily cynical at all.