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Curator: The decision to restore the cloak of the central figure in Veronese’s painting from its present red to the green found underneath is fully justified. Reliable x-ray and chemical tests show that the red pigment was applied after the painting had been completed, and that the red paint was not mixed in Veronese’s workshop. Hence it appears likely that an artist other than Veronese tampered with Veronese’s painting after its completion.

Art critic: But in a copy of Veronese’s painting made shortly after Veronese died, the cloak is red. It is highly unlikely that a copyist would have made so major a change so soon after Veronese’s death.

The assertion that a later artist tampered with Veronese’s painting serves which one of the following functions in the curator’s argument?


(A) It is the main point toward which the argument as a whole is directed.

(B) It is a subsidiary conclusion that supports the argument’s main conclusion.

(C) It is a clarification of a key term of the argument.

(D) It is a particular instance of the general position to be defended.

(E) It is a reiteration of the main point that is made for the sake of emphasis.


If we read Curators argument, 2 statements stand Out- painting needs to be restored from red to Green & Hence it appears likely that an artist other than Veronese tampered with Veronese’s painting after its completion.

If we apply AB testing,
Statement 2: Hence it appears likely that an artist other than Veronese tampered with Veronese’s painting after its completion WHY? Because: The decision to restore the cloak of the central figure in Veronese’s painting from its present red to the green found underneath is fully justified.

OR

The decision to restore the cloak of the central figure in Veronese’s painting from its present red to the green found underneath is fully justified. WHY? Because: (Hence) it appears likely that an artist other than Veronese tampered with Veronese’s painting after its completion.

We clearly see that Statement 1 is justified by Statement 2, and hence S1 is the Main Conclusion and S2 is the interim conclusion (marked by Hence). Thus clearly, choice B is the answer.
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From PowerScore's website:

"Due to the relatively complex structure of the curator's argument, it is important to understand it fully before proceeding to answer the question:
Premise (1): ..... Reliable tests show that the red pigment was applied after the painting had been completed

Premise (2): ..... The red paint was not mixed in Veronese's workshop

Sub. Conclusion: ..... An artist other than Veronese tampered with his painting after its completion

Main Conclusion: ..... The decision to restore the cloak of the central figure in Veronese's painting from its present red to the green found underneath is fully justified
As is often the case with Method of Reasoning/Argument Part questions, it is crucial to distinguish between the "subsidiary" conclusion and the "main" conclusion of the argument, particularly since the test makers will often try to trick you by prefacing the subsidiary conclusion with a typical conclusion indicator ("hence") while providing no conclusion indicators for the main conclusion. This tactic underscores the importance of understanding the function of each statement.

Compare the two contender conclusions and check to see which one answers the question "why?" — whichever one does, this will be the subsidiary conclusion of the argument. In this instance, the decision to restore the cloak is explained by the observation that someone must have tampered with the painting. Therefore, tampering with the painting is not the main conclusion of the argument, even though two separate premises are used in its support. By answering the question "why is the decision to restore the color of the cloak justified?", the statement that someone else must have tampered with Veronese's painting provides a premise for the main conclusion. Because this claim is both supported by the initial two premises and in turn supports another statement, it is a subsidiary conclusion of the argument. Answer choice (B) is therefore correct.

Answer choice (A) As discussed above, the main conclusion is the first sentence of the stimulus and not the last one, despite the misleading conclusion indicator ("hence") provided here. This answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (B): This the correct answer choice. See discussion above.

Answer choice (C) This statement does not clarify a key term. This answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (D) There is no general position in the curator's argument that needs defending. This answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (E) While the main point is in the first sentence, the last one does not reiterate it. Rather, it provides a rationale for it, by explaining why the decision to restore the color of the cloak is justified. This answer choice is incorrect."
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How is the right answer option B? The fact that the decision to change the colour from red to green is the curator's main conclusion not the main conclusion of the argument as a whole. Based on what the art critic says, it is unlikely that some changes the cloak to red after veronese died.This could mean that it was originally painted red.

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Bunuel

Competition Mode Question



Curator: The decision to restore the cloak of the central figure in Veronese’s painting from its present red to the green found underneath is fully justified. Reliable x-ray and chemical tests show that the red pigment was applied after the painting had been completed, and that the red paint was not mixed in Veronese’s workshop. Hence it appears likely that an artist other than Veronese tampered with Veronese’s painting after its completion.

Art critic: But in a copy of Veronese’s painting made shortly after Veronese died, the cloak is red. It is highly unlikely that a copyist would have made so major a change so soon after Veronese’s death.

The assertion that a later artist tampered with Veronese’s painting serves which one of the following functions in the curator’s argument?


(A) It is the main point toward which the argument as a whole is directed.

(B) It is a subsidiary conclusion that supports the argument’s main conclusion.

(C) It is a clarification of a key term of the argument.

(D) It is a particular instance of the general position to be defended.

(E) It is a reiteration of the main point that is made for the sake of emphasis.

The curator's assertion that an artist other than Veronese likely tampered with the painting serves as a subsidiary conclusion that supports the argument's main conclusion.
Here's why:

Main Conclusion: The curator's primary claim is that "The decision to restore the cloak of the central figure in Veronese’s painting from its present red to the green found underneath is fully justified".

Premises: The curator provides two pieces of evidence:
The red pigment was applied after the painting was completed.
The red paint was not mixed in Veronese's workshop.

Subsidiary Conclusion: Based on these two premises, the curator infers that "Hence it appears likely that an artist other than Veronese tampered with Veronese’s painting after its completion." This statement is a conclusion in itself because it is supported by the two previous statements.
Support for Main Conclusion: This subsidiary conclusion, in turn, provides the justification for the main conclusion that the restoration is justified. The reasoning is that if someone other than Veronese altered the painting, then restoring it to its original green state is appropriate.
Therefore, the statement about a later artist tampering with the painting acts as an intermediate step in the curator's argument, supported by the test results and, in turn, supporting the overall claim that the restoration is justified.
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