PrepTest 140, Section 4, Question 4
African American painter Sam Gilliam (b.(436 more words not shown)
The passage most strongly suggests(17 more words not shown)
- Aderisive(1 more words not shown)
- Bopen(1 more words not shown)
- Cwhimsical(1 more words not shown)
- Dcareful(1 more words not shown)
- Emild(1 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
Gilliam thinks the approach leaves too little room for subtlety and experimentation. The author says he found it aesthetically conservative and was “impatient” with its literal representation. So our prediction is plainly negative: he is dissatisfied.
What we’re looking for
Now match the degree and character of that attitude. A negative word can still add contempt or playfulness that the evidence doesn't support.
Working the answers
- A
Derisive condescension goes beyond dissatisfaction into mockery and looking down on others. The author reports criticism of an artistic approach, not ridicule of the artists as beneath him.
- BCorrect
Open dissatisfaction fits his stated objections and impatience. He identifies what he finds limiting and seeks a more expressive alternative.
- C
Dismissal alone might sound possible, but “whimsical” adds a playful or fanciful quality. Nothing in the description makes his objection a matter of whimsy.
- D
He isn't carefully withholding judgment. Calling the approach conservative and objecting to its lack of subtlety are judgments against it.
- E
Mild approval points in the wrong direction. The fact that the art was popular with the public doesn't make Gilliam approving of it. His dissatisfaction is precisely what distinguishes his reaction from that favorable reception.
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