PrepTest 121, Section 1, Question 5
Compact discs (CDs) offer an improvement in artistic(64 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(9 more words not shown)
- ACDs provide greater(6 more words not shown)
- BOn vinyl records,(13 more words not shown)
- CAs the record(16 more words not shown)
- DCDs represent a(6 more words not shown)
- ECDs can have(14 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why would a CD give an artist more freedom? Maybe it permits different music or different editing. Those would be possible explanations, but let's see which explanation the author actually supplies.
On a vinyl record, the needle follows grooves toward the center. The passage says certain grooves make the needle jump, which limits the loudness and pitch of the last song on a side. Now the connection to artistic freedom makes sense. Imagine a band wanting to end its album with its loudest, highest-pitched song. According to the passage, the record's physical limits get in the way of that choice.
A CD removes that particular restriction. The artist can choose the ending song without having to satisfy the vinyl record's limits. We could still ask about other aspects of artistic freedom, such as editing, but we don't need to manufacture a flaw here. We can understand the reason the author gives.
What we’re looking for
The question asks for the main conclusion. Go back to the first claim: CDs offer more artistic freedom than vinyl records. The discussion of needles, grooves, and song order explains why. We're looking for that main claim restated, not for one of the technical details used to support it.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
“Artistic latitude” means artistic freedom or flexibility. The artist has more freedom to choose how the recording ends. A restates the opening claim, and the rest of the passage supplies the explanation for it.
- B
This concerns the song farthest from the center. The stated restriction concerns the song nearest the center, so B isn't the claim the author makes. Even a correct description of what other songs permit would be a detail about vinyl records, not the conclusion comparing the artist's freedom on the two formats.
- C
The passage says the needle must fight centrifugal force as it moves inward; it doesn't explicitly state the comparison that the force becomes stronger. More importantly, an account of the force on the needle would belong to the explanation of the restriction. The argument's point is what removing that restriction does for artistic choice.
- D
More artistic freedom isn't the same claim as a considerable technological advance. A small technical change could make a meaningful difference to artists. The author explains a benefit of CDs without making this broader judgment about how large a technological step they represent.
- E
The restriction is on where certain passages can occur on a vinyl record, especially the final song on a side. The author doesn't establish that CDs can reach pitches or volumes that vinyl records cannot accommodate anywhere. E drops the placement limitation and still fails to state the main point about artistic freedom.
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