PrepTest 105, Section 4, Question 10
In the course of his reading, George Orwell(65 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(9 more words not shown)
- AA novel that(14 more words not shown)
- BA mystery novel(16 more words not shown)
- CTo direct an(14 more words not shown)
- DA recent film(20 more words not shown)
- EA historical romance(15 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Two writers can use the same storytelling device without one taking it from the other. Both may have encountered it in earlier literature. Think of two branches growing from the same source rather than one branch growing from the other.
That's the possibility the passage gives us for Orwell. His book resembles other futuristic novels, but those resemblances could reflect conventions all the authors encountered elsewhere. Similarity alone doesn't establish that Orwell read those particular books.
What we’re looking for
My prediction for an illustration of the principle is two works drawing on a common source. One writer hasn't necessarily borrowed from the other; both could have learned the device somewhere else. I'll look for that relationship rather than simply choosing another answer about books.
Working the answers
- A
This starts with direct influence and predicts a genre classification. The passage starts with resemblance and questions an inference about direct influence. A would tell us where to classify a novel already known to be influenced by Gothic novels; it doesn't show why similarity fails to prove a particular source of influence.
- B
This says influence can exist without resemblance. The passage's point runs the other way: resemblance can exist without direct influence between the works. Those claims could both be true, but they answer different questions. B begins by accepting the direct influence that the original says resemblance does not establish.
- C
This makes studying earlier cowboy movies a requirement for directing an effective one. The passage gives us a reason not to assume that an author must have read particular books in the same genre. C adds a necessity about studying those works instead of allowing a similar result without that direct route.
- DCorrect
Car chases, explosions, and clever villains provide the resemblance to other action films, just as shared storytelling devices provide the resemblance between Orwell's book and other futuristic books. D says those similarities don't necessarily establish direct influence from the other films.
I initially looked for an explicit statement that both works used a third source. D doesn't include that whole explanation, but it does capture the principle the explanation supports: similar features alone don't prove direct influence. The action film could draw on conventions available elsewhere.
Be careful with “not necessarily.” D doesn't establish that the filmmaker never saw another action film, just as the passage doesn't establish that Orwell never read the other books. It rejects the inference from resemblance alone.
- E
This gives a requirement for belonging to a genre: a historical romance must use certain conventions. We aren't being asked which features qualify a book for its category. We need the distinction between sharing features and being directly influenced by particular works. E doesn't address that distinction.
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