PrepTest 135, Section 2, Question 1
Any museum that owns the rare stamp that(54 more words not shown)
The reasoning above most closely(8 more words not shown)
- AThe public should(15 more words not shown)
- BMuseum display cases(10 more words not shown)
- CRed ink should(13 more words not shown)
- DA museum piece(10 more words not shown)
- EThe primary purpose(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What's the point of owning a rare stamp if nobody gets to see it?
I understand the concern about damage. Ultraviolet light makes red ink fade, and much of this stamp is red. We're also explicitly told that displaying the stamp will damage it. Accept that. The question is what we should do about it.
The author chooses preservation: lock the stamp away, even at the cost of public access. But why should preservation win? Someone else might think the chance to see this rare object is worth some damage. Explaining why display is risky doesn't yet explain why that risk outweighs the benefit of display.
What we’re looking for
We're asked for a principle that fits the reasoning. I want a rule that settles this tradeoff in the author's favor: when displaying a museum piece would damage it, keep it off display. That connects the damage we already know about to the recommendation we're being asked to accept.
Working the answers
- A
The quality of the museum isn't the decision here. A museum could have an exceptionally rare collection, and we would still need to decide whether people should be allowed to see a piece that display would damage. This rule gives us a way to judge the collection, not a reason to withhold the stamp.
- B
This recommends a feature of display cases. It doesn't explain why a museum should withhold a piece when displaying it would cause damage. We might like a case that prevents fading, but the passage gives us display damage as a fact. The author's response is to lock the stamp away, not to recommend a better case.
- C
We're deciding what to do with a stamp that already exists. A rule about when to use red ink in making an item doesn't establish whether this particular stamp should be displayed.
- DCorrect
The stamp is a museum piece that would be damaged by display, so this principle tells us not to display it. That supplies the author's missing priority: preventing this damage takes precedence over letting visitors see the piece.
- E
Education could give us a reason to let people see the stamp. This doesn't explain why preservation should take priority when access and protection conflict. The author acknowledges the cost to the public and recommends withholding the stamp anyway.
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