RC Question 13 Explanation
DISCUSSION: I got his question wrong when I did this test timed. I chose E. It was a big stretch. I knew the author understood why the collectors wanted terra-cotta. I twisted this into meaning that she had sympathy (“understand of”) their motives.
This was wrong. The lesson is that reading comprehension answers are almost never a stretch. Instead, you can typically find a line that proves the answer. I had trouble on this question because I totally missed the line that answers the question, even when I looked back.
This question is absurdly easy if you noticed the line. On line 8, the author says collectors “rightly admire” the terra-cotta sculptures. That means she thinks the collectors have good taste in sculpture.
Any opinion words such as “rightly” are extremely important to take note of. I failed in this case.
___________
- You might have picked this because paragraph 4 talks about how excavators can help preserve artifacts. But paragraph 4 was hypothetical. So far, excavators have done nothing but harm. See paragraph 1.
- CORRECT. Line 8 says collectors “rightly admire” the sculptures. This shows the author approves of the aesthetic (i.e. artistic) judgement of the collectors.
- Ridiculous. The collectors are the ones buying illegally exported artifacts. Why would the author expect them to take action against themselves?
Maybe you thought this answer said dismay at Mali or UNESCO’s failure to take action? - The author never said this. In fact, the author doesn’t talk about the people of Mali at all. I doubt the people of Mali are particularly concerned about the artifacts. Most people in most countries don’t care too much about artifacts. They have other priorities.
- The author understands why collectors want terra-cotta sculptures, and she understands why they don’t document their finds. That doesn’t mean she approves of (has sympathy with) their motives.
I also chose E. I eliminated B because I wasn’t able to support the idea of there being an “aesthetic judgement.” When I think of aesthetics, I think of physical beauty, but that isn’t referenced anywhere in the passage. Instead, line 8 says the sculptures were “rightly admired.” Couldn’t the sculptures be rightly admired for reasons other than aesthetics, such as cultural significance? I can appreciate some work of art for being historically significant without appreciating it as aesthetically pleasing. I’m trying to understand the reasoning, but can you find any other support besides line 8? Thanks.
Line 6, they’re described as “fine” sculptures. In the context of a statue, that pretty clearly refers to aesthetics.