PrepTest 159, Section 1, Question 7
Critic: It generally holds true of concert pianists(40 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(8 more words not shown)
- AThe fame of(8 more words not shown)
- BSome of the(9 more words not shown)
- CIn general, the(14 more words not shown)
- DEven the finest(9 more words not shown)
- EThe very best(12 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Maybe the famous pianists are famous because they're good.
We know that audiences generally enjoy the more famous musicians more. One explanation would be that listeners are impressed by a name and can't distinguish good playing from bad. But another is that talent helps a pianist become famous and also makes the performance more enjoyable. The same pattern could arise without audiences blindly following a reputation.
What we’re looking for
The critic defends the audience's ability to judge the music. To strengthen that defense, I'd want a connection between fame and actual musical quality. If the reputation usually reflects real talent, the audience's greater pleasure makes much more sense.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Fame usually reflects talent. That supplies the connection we wanted: the more famous musicians tend to offer good music for the audience to enjoy. The pattern therefore need not be evidence that audiences mistake a famous name for good playing. This supports the critic without requiring that every listener always judges perfectly.
- B
An excellent pianist can be unknown. That tells us fame doesn't capture every talented musician, but it doesn't support the claim that the famous pianists audiences enjoy are talented. It also doesn't undo a general tendency merely by identifying some exceptions. Either way, it doesn't give the critic the support A provides.
- C
A larger audience isn't the same as greater pleasure for that audience. Fame might persuade more people to attend, regardless of how well the musician plays. We need a reason to trust the listeners' enjoyment as a response to quality, not a fact about how many tickets a name can sell.
- D
A fine pianist can have an off night. The critic never says every performance is excellent, so this doesn't expose a contradiction in the view. But it also doesn't support the link between fame and quality that would help defend the audience's judgment.
- E
Difficult music might explain why even a very skilled performance isn't easy to enjoy. It doesn't explain why greater fame generally goes with greater audience pleasure, or why that pattern should reassure us about the audience's ability to distinguish good playing from bad.
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