PrepTest 132, Section 4, Question 8
Storytelling appears to be a universal aspect of(45 more words not shown)
The evidence cited above from(13 more words not shown)
- AStorytellers routinely borrow(4 more words not shown)
- BStorytellers have long(11 more words not shown)
- CCertain human concerns(9 more words not shown)
- DStorytelling was no(11 more words not shown)
- EThe best way(11 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
People separated by time and geography keep telling stories about similar things. Where did we come from? How did our group begin? What might exist beyond ordinary experience? The shared themes suggest that some human interests travel beyond any one culture.
We don't need to claim that the stories are identical. A creation story and a tale about an animal with a human personality can take very different forms in different places. The evidence concerns recurring themes and kinds of stories, not agreement on every detail.
What we’re looking for
So I'd expect an answer about storytelling, and the concerns behind it, being part of a shared human experience. The question asks what this evidence most supports.
Working the answers
- A
Similar themes don't tell us that storytellers borrowed them. Different cultures might arrive at similar ideas independently, or borrowing might play some role. The passage doesn't settle that question, much less establish routine borrowing. We know there are similarities; we don't know their route of transmission.
- B
Telling stories isn't the same as knowing that storytelling is universal. A storyteller could use a creation theme without knowing anything about other cultures' stories. The study tells us what people do, not what those people understood about storytelling around the world.
- CCorrect
Common themes across diverse cultures support the idea that some concerns and interests arise throughout human cultures. Stories about creation or a group's origins suggest recurring curiosity about those subjects. This draws on the shared content, as well as the apparent universality of storytelling itself.
- D
Presence doesn't establish equal importance. Two cultures could both tell stories while giving storytelling very different roles in daily life. The evidence says stories occur in ancient and modern cultures, but it doesn't compare how important they are to each.
- E
Nothing compares methods for understanding a culture. Learning what motivates storytellers might be useful, but calling it the best method requires a comparison we haven't been given. E turns evidence about common storytelling into advice about studying cultures.
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