#13 - Specific Reference, Must Be True, Purpose/Function

[Administrator]

Complete question explanation.

See the complete passage discussion here: viewtopic.php?f=1158&t=11220

Specific Reference, Must Be True, Purpose/Function. The correct answer is (A).


Looking at the specific lines (18-19) in context, the author is explaining the two types of art production that sociohistorical critics consider. They give an example of each type, so the correct answer will also describe these lines as being an example. Here, the author is talking about the second type of art production, which they go on to say is favored by sociohistorical critics, so that might be in the correct answer as well.

Answer (A) - This is the correct answer. - This answer describes the reference being used as an example, which is correct, and that it is an example of art favored by sociohistorical critics, which is also correct.

Answer (B) - The author wasn't discussing the influence of religion, only providing an example of one of the two methods of art production.

Answer (C) - The author didn't claim that the pope and Raphael had the most common type of art and benefactor relationship.

Answer (D) - It's unclear if Raphael subverted the ideals of the pope in this art, so this is incorrect. This is also not the point the author was making at this point in the passage.

Answer (E) - This pattern actually does seem to fit the one preferred by sociohistorical critics; the author goes on to say this is favored by people like Taruskin, so this is incorrect.

[mokkyukkyu]

Hi,
Why is D wrong?
I was not sure between A and D...

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi mokkyukkyu,

Thanks for your question!

To help you figure out where you went wrong here, please provide a detailed breakdown of how you understood the question you’re asking about. Since you’re asking about a Reading Comprehension question, we expect to see evidence that you were able to do the following:

• Correctly identify the type of question in the stem.
• If the stem refers to a specific concept in the passage, identify where in the passage this concept was discussed.
• If the stem allows for a paraphrasable answer, tell us what it was. (Don't be afraid if your prephrase was off).
• Assuming this is a Must Be True question, as most RC questions are, tell us what textual evidence you have supporting your choice of (incorrect) answer.
• Explain why you believe the correct answer choice is not supported by the passage.

The more you tell us about your method of approach, the better we can help you figure it out.

Thanks!

[MarkHedley]

I get how C works, but wouldn't B also work?

[Charlie Melman]

Hi Mark,

Answer choice (B) does not work because the author of the passage is not concerned with the influence of religion on art. Notice that he uses Raphael's frescoes as an example of the second way, and then starts talking about people's opinions about the second way and why those opinions might be true or not. Since the passage contains no substantive discussion of religion, the author is not using Raphael's frescoes, which were made in a religious context, to make a broader point about religion's influence on the development of art.

I hope this helps!

[itsmathuri]

Hey there,

I chose C thinking that the author was mentioning the frescoes alongside the other way art was produced for a member of the elite. However, I don't see how the author mentioning the frescoes was for the purpose of illustrating how sociohistorical critics understood the process?

Is this question more of a "pick the best choice" situation?

Thanks!

[Jeremy Press]

Hi itsmathuri!

There's a major problem with answer choice C, which is that we don't know that art produced in "the second way" (the way Raphael's frescoes were produced) embodied the "most common type" of relationship between patron and artist. Nothing in the passage supports that superlative claim.

For support for answer choice A, take a look at the sentence just after the sentence that mentions Raphael's frescoes, which says, "Sociohistorical critics like Taruskin prefer to deal with art produced the second way..." The fact that sociohistorical critics "prefer to deal with" that second kind of art means they "favor" it. And since that language is present in the immediate context of the reference to Raphael, it indicates the author's purpose in discussing Raphael was related to that issue.

I hope this helps!