Though the term literature seems as though it would be simple to def

Question

Though the term “literature” seems as though it would be simple to define, only a few moments of pondering the question “what is literature?” is required before one realizes how complex it really is. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, a Muslim philosopher who lived during the eighth century, A.D., wrote that, “Literature is the garment which one puts on what he says or writes so that it may appear more attractive.” When viewed in this light, literature begins to resemble less a description of content itself than an artistic veil draped over content.

On the other hand, the term literature is cast in a harsher light when viewed as the twentieth century Russian thinker Roman Jakobson did; he declared that literature is “organized violence committed on ordinary speech.” Jakobson thus suggests that the unstructured, conversational words that define ordinary speech are transmogrified into a particular arrangement on the page and, in so doing, become literature.

Another facet to consider is the public’s perception of literature. While some may define cave paintings as literature, others would argue that they are merely graphic inscriptions that, though perhaps narrative, are not literary. Others may argue that banned books, such as Go Ask Alice, published in 1971 and excluded from many library shelves and schools, are not literature because the content cannot be universally appreciated. Because these questions remain unanswered and are largely subjective, in the final analysis, it may prove impossible to define the term “literature.”    1 
 1. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?

A. The question of “what is literature” has been answered differently by different cultures at different points in history.
B. Asking questions such as “what is literature” is an ultimately fruitless endeavor since there will never be consensus on the answer.
C. Literature is a little-understood concept to this day because few scholars have thought to attempt to define it.
D. Attempts to answer the question “what is literature” are doomed to failure because literature has no defining characteristics other than the label, literature, itself.
E. A seemingly well-understood concept is shown to have been subject to much disagreement in the past and is expected to continue to be the subject of disagreement.

2 
 2. The author of the passage most likely mentions cave paintings in order to

A. prove that such merely graphic depictions have never been considered literature
B. provide an example of a type of artwork that has long been accepted as a form of literature
C. demonstrate that the definition of literature may require more than merely telling a story
D. emphasize that efforts to develop a definition of literature are destined for failure
E. underscore that content must be universally appreciated in order to be deemed literature

3 
 3. Based on the passage, about which of the following would Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and Roman Jakobson be most likely to disagree?

A. Literature is more concerned with aesthetic criteria than substance.
B. Without the label “literature” the ugliness of most writing would be apparent.
C. Literature is dangerous because of its inherently violent structures.
D. Literature may have innate characteristics by which it may be recognized.
E. Banned books are not literature because they are not universally appreciated.

4 
 4 The author of the passage most likely mentions the book Go Ask Alice in order to

A. illustrate one reason why a piece of writing may not be considered literature
B. argue that banned books should not be considered literature because they are not universally appreciated
C. counter a point of view that some works not widely considered literature should be reevaluated
D. offer an alternative explanation for why some pieces of writing should be considered literature
E. present another piece of evidence supporting Jakobson’s theory of literature   
    GMAT Club Reading Comprehension (RC) Quiz-I 2024   
   05 Days | 10 Passages | Win Prizes | Get Better at GMAT   
 Passage # 10  |  Date: 05 March 2024
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Sss678 · Answer

Q1. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage? 
My answer is B)
 B. Asking questions such as “what is literature” is an ultimately fruitless endeavor since there will never be consensus on the answer. 
At the end of the passage, the author says - "Because these questions remain unanswered and are largely subjective, in the final analysis, it may prove impossible to define the term “literature.”". The answers to the above question are largely varied in nature so there is no agreement on the definition of "literature"

A. The question of “what is literature” has been answered differently by different cultures at different points in history.
The passage does not talk about different cultures but different personalities and largely public opinion.

C. Literature is a little-understood concept to this day because few scholars have thought to attempt to define it.
The passage goes on to include the viewpoints of philosphers, thinkers and also the larger public. The above answer choice limits the main idea to only scholars.
D. Attempts to answer the question “what is literature” are doomed to failure because literature has no defining characteristics other than the label, literature, itself.
This is partially correct since the latter part says literature has no defining characteristics ecept the label. whereas the passage  mentions the definitions of  thinkers, philosopher and the public. But utlimately the author comes to the point that there are many defining characteristics but no commonality or consensus.

E. A seemingly well-understood concept is shown to have been subject to much disagreement in the past and is expected to continue to be the subject of disagreement.
According to the passage, the concept is not properly understood at any point in time, so there can be no classification on timeframe.

Q2. The author of the passage most likely mentions cave paintings in order to 
My answer is C)
 C. demonstrate that the definition of literature may require more than merely telling a story 
The mention of "cave paintings" is done to express the public viewpoint of literature as something which is beyond just words or writings. Literature , according to some people, can be more broadly defined as expression of emotions through graphics too.

A. prove that such merely graphic depictions have never been considered literature
It is incorrect as the passage itself says-"While some may define cave paintings as literature". i.e. some people do consider the graphic depictions as literature

B. provide an example of a type of artwork that has long been accepted as a form of literature
No, the author provides disagreement to the conisderation of cave painting as artwork too -"others would argue that they are merely graphic inscriptions that, though perhaps narrative, are not literary"

D. emphasize that efforts to develop a definition of literature are destined for failure
The author mentioned "cave paintings" mainly in order to show one particular aspect/ perception of public on the definition of literature and not prove that all the efforts to develop a definition are doomed to failure.

E. underscore that content must be universally appreciated in order to be deemed literature
The author does not mention the cave painting to emphasis universal appreciation.

Q3. Based on the passage, about which of the following would Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and Roman Jakobson be most likely to disagree? 
My answer is D)
 D. Literature may have innate characteristics by which it may be recognized. 
This is one perspective of literature which is not explicitly mentioned byImam or Jakobson. In fact, they have attributed a particular characterictic to literature without any consideration to its innate nature.

A. Literature is more concerned with aesthetic criteria than substance.
This point will be agreed upon by Imam

B. Without the label “literature” the ugliness of most writing would be apparent.
It is  not explicitly staed by Jakobson but can be inferred from his opinion on defintion of literature.

C. Literature is dangerous because of its inherently violent structures.
It might be agreed upon by Jakobson to some extent.

E. Banned books are not literature because they are not universally appreciated.
No point on banned books can be inferred from the opinions of Imam or Jakobson on the defining characteristics of literature.

Q4. The author of the passage most likely mentions the book Go Ask Alice in order to 
My answer is A)
 A. illustrate one reason why a piece of writing may not be considered literature 
Since the book Go Ask Alice is stated to be banned from libraries, the author intends to put his point that some people might consider it as "not literature" due to its banning.

B. argue that banned books should not be considered literature because they are not universally appreciated
The author is not arguing about the banned books to be not considered literature, but,in fact, he merely expresses the public opinion about them.

C. counter a point of view that some works not widely considered literature should be reevaluated
There is no calling from the author to reevaluate any piece of work

D. offer an alternative explanation for why some pieces of writing should be considered literature
The author soes not provide any alternative explanation but just put forth all possible viewpoints.

E. present another piece of evidence supporting Jakobson’s theory of literature
There is no relation of the banned book to Jakobson's theory in the third paragraph.

missionmba2025 · Answer

1. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?

The passage starts with how many believe literature would be simple to define. The passage then provides various examples in the second and third paragraph how different people have defined the word and the disagreement that prevails.

A. The question of “what is literature” has been answered differently by different cultures at different points in history.

No reference to culture has been made. Hence, we can eliminate this option.

B. Asking questions such as “what is literature” is an ultimately fruitless endeavor since  there will never be consensus  on the answer.

This is a tricky one. Note the the author concludes with " in the final analysis, it  may  prove impossible to define the term “literature.”,  while the option presents a very definitive answere. Hence, elimiante B.

C. Literature is a little-understood concept to this day because few scholars have thought to attempt to define it.

This is not the central idea of the passage. Hence, we can eliminate C.

D. Attempts to answer the question “what is literature”  are doomed to failure  because literature has no defining characteristics other than the label, literature, itself.

The reasoning is similar to that of B. The option shows too extreme of a view (not that its wrong always) ; the details do not match to the ones presented in the passage. Eliminate D.

E. A seemingly well-understood concept is shown to have been subject to much disagreement in the past and is expected to continue to be the subject of disagreement.

This option encompasses the entire summary. Hence, this is better than the rest.

2. The author of the passage most likely mentions cave paintings in order to

Refer to the second line of the third paragraph " While some may define cave paintings as literature, others would argue that they are merely graphic inscriptions that, though perhaps narrative, are not literary. "

A. prove that such merely graphic depictions have  never been considered  literature

An extreme option. The passage has a very subtle tone " though perhaps narrative, are not literary".  Hence, we can eliminate A.

B. provide an example of a type of artwork that has long been accepted as a form of literature

Opposite to what has been presented in the passage. Hence, we can eliminate B.

C. demonstrate that the definition of literature may require more than merely telling a story

This option is inline with the sentence above.

D. emphasize that efforts to develop a definition of literature are destined for failure

This is not true. Hence, we can eliminate D.

E. underscore that content must be universally appreciated in order to be deemed literature

This information is presented later in the passage. Eliminate E.

3. Based on the passage, about which of the following would Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and Roman Jakobson be most likely to disagree?

A. Literature is more concerned with aesthetic criteria than substance.

This seems correct. The two scholars have different opinion on what literature constitutes.

B. Without the label “literature” the ugliness of most writing would be apparent.

This information is not correct. Eliminate B.

C. Literature is dangerous because of its inherently violent structures.

This is only the belief of Roman Jakobson. Hence, we can eliminate C.

D. Literature may have innate characteristics by which it may be recognized.

No such reference has been made. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq believes literature is all about the presentation while Roman Jakobson believes that its about the structure. Eliminate D.

E. Banned books are not literature because they are not universally appreciated.

This is incorrect. The reference to banned books is not present in the first two paragraphs. Eliminate E.

4 The author of the passage most likely mentions the book Go Ask Alice in order to

Refer to the third sentence in the last paragraph " Others may argue that banned books, such as Go Ask Alice, published in 1971 and excluded from many library shelves and schools, are not literature because the content cannot be universally appreciated "

A. illustrate one reason why a piece of writing may not be considered literature

This is correct. The reference to the book Go Ask Alice is in order to support how different people have different opinions on the term.

B. argue that banned books should not be considered literature because they are not universally appreciated

The author merely presents the opionion and doesn't argue. Hence this option is incorrect.

C. counter a point of view that some works not widely considered literature should be reevaluated

The author doesn't present his views. Hence, we doesn't counter a point of view. Eliminate C.

D. offer an alternative explanation for why some pieces of writing should be considered literature

No alternative explanation is provided in support of Go Ask Alice or any other book. This option is not correct.

E. present another piece of evidence supporting Jakobson’s theory of literature

The presented option is incorrect. Eliminate E.

Answers:

1. E
2. C
3. A
4. A

mayankdgmat · Answer

1. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?

IMO B

A. The question of “what is literature” has been answered differently by different cultures at different points in history.
But this is not main idea, author has used these as example to show that it may be impossible to define literature

B. Asking questions such as “what is literature” is an ultimately fruitless endeavor since there will never be consensus on the answer. 
Yes, everybody will have different answer, due to this it is complex to define literature

C. Literature is a little-understood concept to this day because few scholars have thought to attempt to define it.
No, passage doesn't say attempted by few scholars only.

D. Attempts to answer the question “what is literature” are doomed to failure because literature has no defining characteristics other than the label, literature, itself.
Passage doesn't say weather there are defining characteristics or not

E. A seemingly well-understood concept is shown to have been subject to much disagreement in the past and is expected to continue to be the subject of disagreement.
As per passage it is not very well-understood/complex to understand literature

2. The author of the passage most likely mentions cave paintings in order to

IMO C

"   While some may define cave paintings as literature, others would argue that they are merely graphic inscriptions that, though perhaps narrative, are not literary."

A. prove that such merely graphic depictions have never been considered literature
No passage says some considered

B. provide an example of a type of artwork that has long been accepted as a form of literature
No passage doesn't says anything about longevity of belief

C. demonstrate that the definition of literature may require more than merely telling a story 
Yes, since passage says that other would argue

D. emphasize that efforts to develop a definition of literature are destined for failure
Cave paintaings doesn't indicate that defination destined for failure

E. underscore that content must be universally appreciated in order to be deemed literature
Doesn't underscore.

3. Based on the passage, about which of the following would Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and Roman Jakobson be most likely to disagree?

IMO B

A. Literature is more concerned with aesthetic criteria than substance.
Both had said literature to be made attractive. So we don't know

B. Without the label “literature” the ugliness of most writing would be apparent. 
Only Roman Jakobson would agree with it, however Imam would not agree as he has not discussed about ugliness of content

C. Literature is dangerous because of its inherently violent structures.
Dangerous both haven't discussed

D. Literature may have innate characteristics by which it may be recognized.
No both would say no to this question

E. Banned books are not literature because they are not universally appreciated.
This was discussed only in last paragraph.

4 The author of the passage most likely mentions the book Go Ask Alice in order to

IMO B

A. illustrate one reason why a piece of writing may not be considered literature
It was about banned books.

B. argue that banned books should not be considered literature because they are not universally appreciated 
Yes, "Others may argue that banned books, such as Go Ask Alice, published in 1971 and excluded from many library shelves and schools, are not literature because the content cannot be universally appreciated"

C. counter a point of view that some works not widely considered literature should be reevaluated
Nothing counter a POV

D. offer an alternative explanation for why some pieces of writing should be considered literature
its about not considered literature

E. present another piece of evidence supporting Jakobson’s theory of literature
Jakobson theory was discussed in previous para

Anugmat740 · Answer

1. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?

p1:  What is Literature?-  definition by a Muslim Philospher
p2: What is Literature? - definition by Russian Thinker
p3: Another example of how to define literature by giving 2 examples  to conclude that It is impossible to define literature .

A. The question of “what is literature” has been answered differently by different cultures at different points in history . - Only 2 people from 2 different cultures are mentioned and in the end author mentions why it is impossible to define the literature.

B. Asking questions such as “what is literature” is an ultimately fruitless endeavor since there will never be consensus on the answer.  - Asking question is not fruitless, but trying to define is fruitless.

C. Literature is a little-understood concept to this day because few scholars have thought to attempt to define it.  - The passage mentions 2 Scholars who attempt to define it, but we cannot infer that other than these 2 there are no other scholars who did not define the term "Literature".

D. Attempts to answer the question “what is literature” are doomed to failure because literature has no defining characteristics other than the label, literature, itself. - Correct, refer to the line "Because these questions remain unanswered and are largely subjective, in the final analysis, it may prove impossible to define the term “literature.”" Author mentions that the questions which are answered and are largely subjective will not help in defining What is literature. Since it is an impossible task it will be doomed to failure to answer this question.

E. A seemingly well-understood concept is shown to have been subject to much disagreement in the past and is expected to continue to be the subject of disagreement. - We cannot infer that these concepts are well- understood in the past.

2. The author of the passage most likely mentions cave paintings in order to 
 A. prove that such merely graphic depictions have never been considered literature  - The cave paintings are not defined as literature is the view of some of the people, some of them define cave paintings as literature

B. provide an example of a type of artwork that has long been accepted as a form of literature  - They are not accepted as a form of literature, another point of view the cave paintings may be narrative but not literary.

C. demonstrate that the definition of literature may require more than merely telling a story  - Author in the last line mentions that it is impossible to define literature , the book and the cave paintings examples are shown that even using public perception of literature. It cannot be defined.

D. emphasize that efforts to develop a definition of literature are destined for failure  - Author bring cave paintings and banned books example to conclude his viewpoint that it is impossible to define the term "literature"

E. underscore that content must be universally appreciated in order to be deemed literature - No, author mentions that defining literature is impossible, there is no point accepting the content as universally accepted. This is mentioned in context of the book Go ask Alice and not w.r.t cave paintings.

3. Based on the passage, about which of the following would Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and Roman Jakobson be most likely to disagree? 
Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq View- Literature is to be viewed more for its aesthetic criteria and less for its content.

Roman Jakobson View- literature is a purposeful alteration of ordinary speech.

A. Literature is more concerned with aesthetic criteria than substance.  - This is the view shared by the Imam Jafar.

B. Without the label “literature” the ugliness of most writing would be apparent.   - This is the view of the Roman Jakobson.

C. Literature is dangerous because of its inherently violent structures.  - This is the view of the Roman Jakobson.

D. Literature may have innate characteristics by which it may be recognized.  This view is not shared by both so they most likely will disagree with this view. Robinson defined it as organized and Imam Sadiq as artistic veil. Literature does no have any innate characteristics they may both agree on this.

E. Banned books are not literature because they are not universally appreciated .- This is related to the book mentioned later and not the view of either Imam Sadiq or Roman Jakobson.

4. The author of the passage most likely mentions the book Go Ask Alice in order to

A. illustrate one reason why a piece of writing may not be considered literature  - The book example is given to highlight the point that even with the public perception definition it is impossible to define the literature. The universal non-acceptance of the book is one of the reason we cannot define literature.

B. argue that banned books should not be considered literature because they are not universally appreciated  - This view is of the Other who argue that the book is not literature, and not the author's view.

C. counter a point of view that some works not widely considered literature should be reevaluated  - Author is not revaluating that the books should be considered literature. Author view about the book is not discussed. The view is of the Other who argue that the book is not literature.

D. offer an alternative explanation for why some pieces of writing should be considered literature  - Author does not conclude in the passage which pieces of writing should be considered literature and which should not.

E. present another piece of evidence supporting Jakobson’s theory of literature  - There is no argument that the book is supporting or not supporting Jakobson's theory, We cannot relate these two.

IMO DDDA

Oppenheimer1945 · Answer

P1: Compelxity of the term "literature". Muslim Philospher's definition
P2: Definition by Russian Thinker...
P3: Public's perception of the term... Some accept while some argue . Hence ther term is impossible to define

1. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?

A. The question of “what is literature” has been answered differently by different cultures at different points in history.
B. Asking questions such as “what is literature” is an ultimately fruitless endeavor since there will never be consensus on the answer.
C. Literature is a little-understood concept to this day because few scholars have thought to attempt to define it.
 D. Attempts to answer the question “what is literature” are doomed to failure because literature has no defining characteristics other than the label, literature, itself. (alligned) 
E. A seemingly well-understood concept is shown to have been subject to much disagreement in the past and is expected to continue to be the subject of disagreement.

2. The author of the passage most likely mentions cave paintings in order to
A. prove that such merely graphic depictions have never been considered literature
B. provide an example of a type of artwork that has long been accepted as a form of literature
C. demonstrate that the definition of literature may require more than merely telling a story
 D. emphasize that efforts to develop a definition of literature are destined for failure (True. Author give 3 perceptions to suggest that the term has no definition) 
E. underscore that content must be universally appreciated in order to be deemed literature

Ja’far al-Sadiq: “Literature is the garment which one puts on what he says or writes so that it may appear more attractive.”
Russian thinker Roman Jakobson : literature is “organized violence committed on ordinary speech.”

3. Based on the passage, about which of the following would Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and Roman Jakobson be most likely to disagree?
A. Literature is more concerned with aesthetic criteria than substance.(Immam agrees)
B. Without the label “literature” the ugliness of most writing would be apparent.(Roman agrees)
 C. Literature is dangerous because of its inherently violent structures. (both disagrees) 
D. Literature may have innate characteristics by which it may be recognized. (irrelavant)
E. Banned books are not literature because they are not universally appreciated.(Roman agrees)

Others may argue that banned books, such as Go Ask Alice, published in 1971 and excluded from many library shelves and schools, are not literature because the content cannot be universally appreciated.

4 The author of the passage most likely mentions the book Go Ask Alice in order to

A. illustrate one reason why a piece of writing may not be considered literature (true) 
B. argue that banned books should not be considered literature because they are not universally appreciated (author is not arguing but giving an example)
C. counter a point of view that some works not widely considered literature should be reevaluated
D. offer an alternative explanation for why some pieces of writing should be considered literature
E. present another piece of evidence supporting Jakobson’s theory of literature

8Harshitsharma · Answer

The passage is fairly simple to read through and grasp the idea, so it is safe to say that this kind of passage won't be asked in the official exam

at least based on the encounters I had with the RC passages in my tests. Passage analysis: Overall main idea: The passage discusses various POVs on a question to define literature, and finally concludes based on the POVs that a seemingly simple question may be impossible to answer. We will try to find a choice that fits in the mold set by our pre-thought main idea without any major altercations. A. Okay seems logical, but this is more like a direct fact on which the main idea is based. Irrelevant. INCORRECT B. The author doesn't say there will "never" be consensus on the idea, he says in the last line that the question "may" be impossible to answer. Distorts the fact. INCORRECT C. Not discussed. INCORRECT D. Same reason as B. The author is saying attempts are "attempts are doomed to failure", he just tells his point based on several POVs. E. Correct, on point, and precise. A. this is not inferrable, the author states that according to some people, graphic depictions are narrative but not literature. B. Opposite choice. C. Exactly on point. "While some may define cave paintings as literature, others would argue that they are merely graphic inscriptions that, though perhaps narrative, are not literary ." D. Not at all, this choice is too extreme. E. Trap choice. This is yet another POV, it's not related to cave paintings. A. Yes, because JS believed that literature is art veiling the content. Whereas, RJ states that literature is an arrangement of words to convey the same idea in a magical way. B. Too extreme, nobody would agree to this. C. literature is "dangerous" - nobody implies this. D. no one states their take on the innate characteristics of literature. E. nobody states their opinion on this idea. A. Only choice remaining by POE. Also, it is pretty clear from the overall idea in the context of the main idea of para 3 that the author is presenting differences of opinion from people based on "their" definition of literature. B. Not the intention, the universal acceptance expectation is yet another idea on which people have differences in opinion C. Author doesn't intend any revaluation anywhere in the passage. D. Same reason as C. No feelings of author about considering/revaluating etc is inferrable. E. Wth, this is just a random choice. Jakobson's theory is totally different and unrelated to this book, at least from whatever we have in the passage.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello Everyone!

The competition mode is off, and you can see your responses now.

OAs are revealed.

E C D A

The official explanation will be posted at 8:45 am Pacific. The result and winners will be announced tomorrow at 8 am Pacific time.

Thank you everyone for participating in this quiz.

Regards
Sajjad

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?

Explanation

The passage states that literature, though an apparently simple concept, is in fact a divisive one about which there is no consensus.

Choice (A)  may be true, but misses the point that even today people cannot define it.

Choice (B)  is close, but too strong since the passage only states that it may be impossible to define, not that it never will be defined.

Choice (C)  is unsupported; there is no evidence that scholars have not thought about it.

Choice (D)  is unsupported; this is only the view of Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq, not necessarily of the author.

Answer: E

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. The author of the passage most likely mentions cave paintings in order to

Explanation

The passage states that some consider cave paintings literature and others do not.

Choice (A)  is not supported by the passage as some do consider them literature.

Choice (B)  is also not supported as the passage never states for how long they have been considered literature.

Choice (D)  may be true, but it is extreme and not related to the discussion of cave paintings.

Choice (E)  is not related to cave paintings.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. Based on the passage, about which of the following would Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and Roman Jakobson be most likely to disagree?

Explanation

Roman Jakobson states that literature imposes a structure upon unstructured, conversational words, while Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq merely states that literature is a veil draped over words; thus, Jakobson believes that language has identifiable characteristics while Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq believes that the only thing that makes something literature is the label literature.

Choice (A)  is unsupported because Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq does not believe that there is one thing called literature and Jakobson argues that literature is defined by structure.

Choice (B)  is unsupported because neither discusses literature as being fundamentally ugly.

Choice (C)  is too strong because neither suggests that literature is dangerous.

Choice (E)  is unsupported because neither expresses an opinion of banned books.

Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

4 The author of the passage most likely mentions the book Go Ask Alice in order to

Explanation

The passage states that some people do not consider banned books literature because they are not universally appreciated.

Choice (A)  fits with this.  Choice (B)  may seem quite tempting, but is unsupported because the passage does not attribute this viewpoint to the author.

Choice (C)  is unsupported because the author does not argue for a reevaluation of Go Ask Alice.

Choice (D)  is unsupported because Go Ask Alice is offered as an example of a book that is not considered literature.

Choice (E)  is unsupported because that Go Ask Alice is not related to Jakobson’s theory of literature being organized ordinary speech.

Answer: A

Oppenheimer1945 · Answer

How is this a demonstration?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Read the following lines from the passage:

"While some may define cave paintings as literature, others would argue that they are merely graphic inscriptions that, though perhaps narrative, are not literary."

According to these lines,  C  is supported and is the best answer. Instead of concentrating on the literal meaning of a single word in the answer choice, it is better to compare the answer choices among themselves and select the one best among the five.

RiyaJ0032 · Answer

can some expert please help with Q3

Thank you in advance!

KarishmaB 
 GMATCoachBen 
 DmitryFarber 
 MartyMurray

DmitryFarber · Answer

This material isn't really up to GMAT standards, so I wouldn't spend time on it. The official explanation above gets at why they  think  D is valid: supposedly, al-Sadiq sees literature as more of a descriptor we add to content, while Jakobson sees it as something we do to language. But if you look closely, you'll see that the former view is not al-Sadiq's but the author's. al-Sadiq talks about making what you write or say more attractive, so that could still involve doing things with language that we wouldn't ordinarily do.

By the way, many of the folks discussing #3 have been misinterpreting the question. We want a statement that the two people cited would argue about, not something that ONE of them would agree or disagree with, and not something that they would both agree or both disagree with.

Though the term literature seems as though it would be simple to def

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Though the term literature seems as though it would be simple to def

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