PrepTest 119, Section 3, Question 8
In jazz history, there have been gifted pianists(50 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- AThe success of(19 more words not shown)
- BThe production of(13 more words not shown)
- CPeople without forceful(8 more words not shown)
- DA trait that(13 more words not shown)
- ENo one can(17 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
The same limitation can hurt in one role and help in another.
These pianists had technical talent but no striking musical ideas of their own. That kept them from leading memorable sessions. Yet it also helped them respond quickly to an imaginative leader's ideas. Their skill could make someone else's musical direction work beautifully, even though they weren't the people supplying that direction.
What we’re looking for
So they weren't absent from great recordings; they contributed to them in a different role. For the principle question, I'd look for that change in context. A lack of original ideas can hold someone back as a leader while allowing that person to make a strong contribution when following another musician's lead. We only need a principle broad enough to capture this example, not a rule about every great work ever produced.
Working the answers
- A
The passage doesn't say the leaders recognized the pianists' weaknesses or that this recognition made the recordings successful. We know the pianists responded well to the leaders. We don't know what the leaders thought about their abilities or how they selected them. A adds an unmentioned decision by the leaders.
- B
Some great jazz recordings benefited from these pianists. That doesn't establish that every great work requires unimaginative but technically skilled contributors. Other recordings might be made by musicians who are both technically skilled and imaginative. B turns a useful contribution in these cases into a universal requirement.
- C
Having few original musical ideas isn't the same as lacking a forceful personality. Someone could be personally assertive without being musically inventive. The passage also doesn't state a rule about who can become a great leader in every field. C changes both the trait and the scope.
- DCorrect
The trait is the lack of striking musical ideas. It is a weakness when the pianist tries to lead a memorable session, but it helps the pianist respond quickly to another leader's ideas. In that setting, the pianist's technical gifts can contribute to a great recording.
The point isn't that the pianists somehow became original thinkers. The same characteristic played a different role depending on what they were doing.
- E
The passage describes successful collaboration, not proof that nobody can succeed without help. Some great achievements might depend on other people, but we haven't been told that all of them must. We also lose the distinctive point about one trait being a disadvantage in one setting and useful in another.
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