PrepTest 111, Section 1, Question 1
Some critics argue that an opera's stage directions(68 more words not shown)
In the argument, the statement(27 more words not shown)
- Aa change of(12 more words not shown)
- Ban opera's stage(7 more words not shown)
- Can opera's music(9 more words not shown)
- Da variety of(9 more words not shown)
- Ethe most frequent(25 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
“Never” leaves the critics very little room. One opera whose music reflects a stage direction would be enough to challenge that claim.
The Mozart example looks promising. A scenery change can make a squeaking sound, and the violin phrases sound like that squeaking. But did Mozart intend the resemblance? Perhaps he simply liked the sound of those violin phrases. A similarity alone doesn't settle what he meant to do.
The author also goes beyond this example. Even if a scenery change can be reflected in music, what establishes that other stage directions can be? Perhaps this particular sound works in a way the others don't. The author has given us a possible example and then extended the conclusion to other kinds of direction.
What we’re looking for
The question asks which claim the statement about the violin phrases supports. My first thought is the nearby claim about Mozart's intention: the resemblance is offered as evidence that he wanted the music to echo the stage activity. Let's see how the choices describe the claim being supported. We need to follow what the example does in the argument, even if we have doubts about the reasoning.
Working the answers
- A
The author says a change of scenery is the most frequent stage direction. That doesn't mean it is the direction most frequently reflected in music. One claim is about how often the direction occurs; the other is about how often music imitates it. The argument never establishes A's ranking.
- B
This is the critics' view, which the author challenges. The Mozart example is supposed to show that at least one kind of stage direction can be reflected in the music. It is evidence against the “never” claim, not evidence for it.
- C
This concerns music affecting stage directions. The author instead argues that music can reflect something happening when a stage direction is carried out. Showing that violin phrases imitate a scenery change isn't the same as showing that the music influences how the production is staged.
- DCorrect
This is the broader conclusion that the example ultimately supports. The author uses the resemblance to support a claim about Mozart's intention, uses that to establish that a scenery change can be reflected in music, and then extends the point to other stage directions.
I initially expected an answer about the first step, Mozart's intention. D names the later claim the same evidence helps support through those steps. Evidence can support an overall conclusion by supporting a claim on the way to it. We don't need to endorse the leap to other directions to identify its role.
- E
We aren't given a count or comparison of all the ways music and stage directions relate. An example of musical imitation doesn't establish that imitation is their most frequent relationship. E adds a claim about prevalence that the argument doesn't make.
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