PrepTest 142, Section 1, Question 11
Critic: In her presentation of important works of(53 more words not shown)
The critic's statements, if true,(8 more words not shown)
- AWaverly believes that(16 more words not shown)
- BWaverly has only(13 more words not shown)
- CWaverly wrote her(14 more words not shown)
- DWaverly has not(13 more words not shown)
- EWaverly does not(13 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Does writing better about something mean you're less objective about it? A writer might produce livelier prose about a favorite painting without explicitly praising it. We'd need to be clear about what counts as objectivity before treating enthusiasm as proof of bias.
There could be other concerns, too. Choosing which works deserve inclusion might itself reflect a judgment. But those are questions we could raise while assessing the critic's reasoning. This question gives us a different job: assume the critic's statements are true and find what they support.
What we’re looking for
One of those statements says that attempts at objectivity in writing about art never succeed. Waverly attempted an objective account of art. Under the critic's stated view, that attempt failed. We needn't infer that she secretly wanted to promote her favorites or that she never valued objectivity. An unsuccessful effort can still be sincere.
Working the answers
- A
Wanting an objective presentation doesn't mean forbidding personal preferences. Waverly could prefer one painting while trying to describe both fairly. The passage tells us about the intended account, not a rule she thinks historians must follow in their private tastes.
- B
The critic explicitly compares Waverly's writing about art she likes with her writing about art to which she is indifferent. That gives us no basis for saying she included only works she has strong opinions about. Indifference is part of the description.
- C
Failing to achieve a goal doesn't establish an intention to do the opposite. Waverly says she sought neither to advocate nor to denigrate the works. The critic's claim that her effort failed doesn't show that she planned to promote her favorites.
- DCorrect
Take the critic's general statement seriously for this question: objectivity in writing about art never succeeds. Waverly's stated aim was an objective presentation of the works in her textbook. That supports the conclusion that she did not achieve her aim. It concerns the outcome of her effort, not a hidden motive.
- E
She could genuinely believe objectivity matters and still fail to achieve it. The critic disputes her success, not necessarily her commitment to the goal. E adds a claim about what she really believes that the passage doesn't establish.
More Must Be True questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Must Be True questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.