A fake can be defined as an artwork intended to deceive. The motives

Question

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Passage # 181 Date: 30-Jun-2020
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A fake can be defined as an artwork intended to
deceive. The motives of its creator are decisive, and the
merit of the object itself is a separate issue. The
question mark in the title of Mark Jones’s  Fake ?  The 
 (5)   Art of Deception  reveals the study’s broader concerns.
Indeed, it might equally be entitled  Original ?, and the
text begins by noting a variety of possibilities
somewhere between the two extremes. These include
works by an artist’s followers in the style of the master,
 (10)  deliberate archaism, copying for pedagogical
purposes, and the production of commercial facsimiles.

The greater part of  Fake ? is devoted to a
chronological survey suggesting that faking feeds on
the many different motives people have for collecting
 (15)  art, and that, on the whole, the faking of art flourishes
whenever art collecting flourishes. In imperial Rome
there was a widespread interest in collecting earlier
Greek art, and therefore, in faking it. No doubt many of
the sculptures now exhibited as “Roman copies” were
 (20)  originally passed off as Greek. In medieval Europe,
because art was celebrated more for its devotional uses
than for its provenance or the ingenuity of its creators,
the faking of art was virtually nonexistent. The modern
age of faking again in the Italian Renaissance, with
 (25)  two linked developments: a passionate identification
with the world of antiquity and a growing sense of
individual artistic identity. A patron of the young
Michelangelo prevailed upon the artist to make his
sculpture  Sleeping Cupid  look as though it had been
 (30)  buried in the earth so that “it will be taken for antique,
and you will sell it much better.” Within a few years,
however, beginning with his first masterpiece, the
Bacchus, Michelangelo had shown his contemporaries
that great art can assimilate and transcend what came
 (35)  before, resulting in a wholly original work. Soon his
genius made him the object of imitators.

Fake ? also reminds us that in certain cultures
authenticity is a foreign concept. This is true of much
African art, where the authenticity of an object is
 (40)  considered by collectors to depend on its function. As
an illustration, the study compares two versions of a
 chi wara  mask made by the Bambara people of Mali.
One has pegs allowing it to be attached to a cap for its
intended ceremonial purpose. The second, otherwise
 (45)  identical, lacks the pegs and is a replica made for sale.
African carving is notoriously difficult to date, but
even if the ritual mask is recent, made perhaps to
replace a damaged predecessor, and the replica much
older, only the ritual mask should be seen as authentic,
 (50)  for it is tied to the form’s original function. That, at
least, is the consensus of the so-called experts. One
wonders whether the Bambaran artists would agree.    1 
 1. The passage can best be described as doing which one of the following?

(A) reconciling varied points of view
(B) chronicling the evolution of a phenomenon
(C) exploring a complex question
(D) advocating a new approach
(E) rejecting an inadequate explanation

2 
 2. Which one of the following best expresses the author’s main point?

(A) The faking of art has occurred throughout history and in virtually every culture.
(B) Whether a work of art is fake or not is less important than whether it has artistic merit.
(C) It is possible to show that a work of art is fake, but the authenticity of a work cannot be proved conclusively.
(D) A variety of circumstances make it difficult to determine whether a work of art can appropriately be called a fake.
(E) Without an international market to support it, the faking of art would cease.

3 
 3. According to the passage, an artwork can be definitively classified as a fake if the person who created it

(A) consciously adopted the artistic style of an influential mentor
(B) deliberately imitated a famous work of art as a learning exercise
(C) wanted other people to be fooled by its appearance
(D) made multiple, identical copies of the work available for sale
(E) made the work resemble the art of an earlier era

4 
 4. The author provides a least one example of each of the following EXCEPT:

(A) categories of art that are neither wholly fake nor wholly original
(B) cultures in which the faking or art flourished
(C) qualities that art collectors have prized in their acquisitions
(D) cultures in which the categories “fake” and “original” do not apply
(E) contemporary artists whose works have inspired fakes.

5 
 5. The author implies which one of the following about the artistic merits of fakes?

(A) Because of the circumstances of its production, a fake cannot be said to have true artistic merit.
(B) A fake can be said to have artistic merit only if the attempted deception is successful.
(C) A fake may or may not have artistic merit in its own right, regardless of the circumstances of its production.
(D) Whether a fake has artistic merit depends on whether its creator is accomplished as an artist.
(E) The artistic merit of a fake depends on the merit of the original work that inspired the fake.

6 
 6. By the standard described in the last paragraph of the passage, which one of the following would be considered authentic?

(A) an ancient Roman copy of an ancient Greek sculpture
(B) a painting begun by a Renaissance master and finished by his assistants after his death
(C) a print of a painting signed by the artist who painted the original
(D) a faithful replica of a ceremonial crown that preserves all the details of, and is indistinguishable from, the original
(E) a modern reconstruction of a medieval altarpiece designed to serve its traditional role in a service of worship

7 
 7. Which one of the following best describes how the last paragraph functions in the context of the passage?

(A) It offers a tentative answer to a question posed by the author in the opening paragraph.
(B) It summarizes an account provided in detail in the preceding paragraph.
(C) It provides additional support for an argument advanced by the author in the preceding paragraph.
(D) It examines another facet of a distinction developed in the preceding paragraphs.
(E) It affirms the general principle enunciated at the beginning of the passage.

Source:   LSAT Official PrepTest 24   
 Difficulty Level:   700

auradediligodo · Accepted Answer

Hi everyone,
Got 6/7 correct in 12:45 minutes, including 3:55 minutes to read and 8:50 minutes to answer the questions.

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P1

In paragraph one the author introduces the main topic: the concept of fake. The intention of the author is to analyze such concept through a book.

Purpose:   to introduce the concept of fake

P2

In the second paragraph the author describes the chronological aspect of the book, highlighting the connection between faking arts and collecting arts.

Purpose:  To explore the chronological aspect of the book

P3

In the last paragraph the author points out that the idea of faking art is not the same across all cultures and cites an example to strengthen such claim.

Purpose:   to claim that the idea of faking art does not exist in certain cultures.

Main point

To explore the concept of faking art, analyzing a book.

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1. The passage can best be described as doing which one of the following?

Pre-thinking

Function question

The author is concerned to explore the concept of fake and its extents

(A) reconciling varied points of view  no reconciliation 
(B) chronicling the evolution of a phenomenon  partial scope para 2 
  (C)   exploring a complex question  as the title of the book says....  Fake?  
(D) advocating a new approach  no new approach is described 
(E) rejecting an inadequate explanation  no other explanation is presented and then rejected

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2. Which one of the following best expresses the author’s main point?

Pre-thinking

Main point question

To explore the concept of faking art, analyzing a book.

(A) The faking of art has occurred throughout history and in virtually every culture.  not the main point and incorrect per the last paragraph  
(B) Whether a work of art is fake or not is less important than whether it has artistic merit.  out of scope 
(C) It is possible to show that a work of art is fake, but the authenticity of a work cannot be proved conclusively.  never discussed 
  (D)   A variety of circumstances make it difficult to determine whether a work of art can appropriately be called a fake.  yes as explained in the second and third paragraphs  
(E) Without an international market to support it, the faking of art would cease.  out of scope

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. According to the passage, an artwork can be definitively classified as a fake if the person who created it

Pre-thinking

Detail question

From the first sentence of the passage: 
  A fake can be defined as an artwork intended to
deceive.

(A) consciously adopted the artistic style of an influential mentor  mentioned as not a fake 
(B) deliberately imitated a famous work of art as a learning exercise  mentioned as not a fake 
  (C)   wanted other people to be fooled by its appearance
(D) made multiple, identical copies of the work available for sale  mentioned as not a fake 
(E) made the work resemble the art of an earlier era  mentioned as not a fake

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. The author provides a least one example of each of the following EXCEPT:

Pre-thinking

Detail question

We need to evaluate each option

(A) categories of art that are neither wholly fake nor wholly original  all across the passage we have such examples 
(B) cultures in which the faking or art flourished  the italian for example 
(C) qualities that art collectors have prized in their acquisitions
   A patron of the young
Michelangelo prevailed upon the artist to make his
sculpture Sleeping Cupid look as though it had been
(30) buried in the earth so that “it will be taken for antique,
and you will sell it much better.”   
(D) cultures in which the categories “fake” and “original” do not apply  per the last paragraph the african culture 
  (E)   contemporary artists whose works have inspired fakes. 
 the trap here is that many would think here of Michelangelo but the people contemporary to him were the imitators. Contemporary artists are artists that live now and the passage does not mention them.

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5. The author implies which one of the following about the artistic merits of fakes?

Pre-thinking

Assumption question

let's evaluate the options

(A) Because of the circumstances of its production, a fake cannot be said to have true artistic merit.  not implied 
(B) A fake can be said to have artistic merit only if the attempted deception is successful.  such idea is not conveyed in the passage 
  (C)   A fake may or may not have artistic merit in its own right, regardless of the circumstances of its production.  seems reasonable 
(D) Whether a fake has artistic merit depends on whether its creator is accomplished as an artist.  too extreme  
(E) The artistic merit of a fake depends on the merit of the original work that inspired the fake.  never talked about such thing

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6. By the standard described in the last paragraph of the passage, which one of the following would be considered authentic?

Pre-thinking

Inference question

As long as the piece of art can exercise its function, such piece is authentic

(A) an ancient Roman copy of an ancient Greek sculpture
(B) a painting begun by a Renaissance master and finished by his assistants after his death
(C) a print of a painting signed by the artist who painted the original
(D) a faithful replica of a ceremonial crown that preserves all the details of, and is indistinguishable from, the original
  (E)   a modern reconstruction of a medieval altarpiece designed to serve its traditional role in a service of worship

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7. Which one of the following best describes how the last paragraph functions in the context of the passage?

Pre-thinking

Function question

The paragraph addresses an interesting way of looking at the term fake

(A) It offers a tentative answer to a question posed by the author in the opening paragraph.  no such question is posed 
(B) It summarizes an account provided in detail in the preceding paragraph.  the last paragraph has no such link with the preceding one 
(C) It provides additional support for an argument advanced by the author in the preceding paragraph.  incorrect 
  (D)   It examines another facet of a distinction developed in the preceding paragraphs.  the distinction made is fake r not fake and in the last paragraph the author explores another dimension of the term. Correct 
(E) It affirms the general principle enunciated at the beginning of the passage.  not really

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It's a great day to be alive!

abhik1502 · Answer

Took 13 min to complete. Pls share the OA

1. C
2. d
3. c
4. a
5. c
6. d
7. d

srishti246 · Answer

Got really confused in this RC. How to approach such an article?

bM22 · Answer

Hi  srishti246 ,

For such long articles, an approach you could try would be to quickly note down the key points of each para, it will help in retaining information, and it will save you time revisiting the passage over and over again. It will also help you in building the stamina of mentally making a note of the gist, or the key points of the passage .

Thanks.

tanu11 · Answer

i still didnt understand q.5 can someone explain it?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. The author implies which one of the following about the artistic merits of fakes?

Difficulty Level:   700

The only reference to artistic merit comes in  Paragraph 1 , specifically  lines 2-3 , where we learn that  “merit”  and  “fakery”  are two wholly separate issues. Search for that sentiment and you find it squarely in  (C).

(A), (B)  Both try to interrelate the issues of merit and fakery,  (A)  arguing that they’re mutually exclusive,  (B)  that they’re correlated. Neither: They are separate issues altogether—as  (C)  realizes.

(D), (E)  Each mentions an element that the passage never alludes to, or even implies.

Answer: C

ricardorr04 · Answer

6/7 correct in 13 mins. Not a terrible passage, but was a bit long so took 3.5 mins to read and comprehend. After that I was able to pretty much answer every other question within a minute except for one that took me 2 mins...

CEdward · Answer

I don't know how others read this with a smile on their face. It was single-handedly the worst passage I've read to date. 17 minutes and 4 wrong. That's a colossal failing grade on the GMAT.

shuklaji · Answer

Sajjad1994 Can you please explain Question4 what are examples gives in the passage favouring option A ? Thank you

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Let me know if this make sense?

Explanation

4. The author provides a least one example of each of the following EXCEPT:

Difficulty Level:   750

Explanation

In this  “odd man out”  question, four of the choices play a role in the passage, which suggests that the right answer is probably outside of its scope. We can review the text, or seek out the wrong choices, or search for the odd man out directly. In any case, your search is aided if you realize that Paragraph 2’s
review of Jones’s chronology stops at Michelangelo, and so we never get a chance to hear about  (E) , names of any contemporary artists whose work has been faked. All of the others appear:

(A) Lines 8-11  list those categories.

(B)  Ancient Rome and the Renaissance would be two such cultures.

(C)  For example,  lines 25-27  detail qualities that were prized during the Renaissance.

(D)  African art  (lines 37-38)  is one culture in which the categories don’t apply.

Answer: E

hiiiiii1234 · Answer

I got all questions wrong ;(
Any suggestions so that i could work and improve.

Rocky1724 · Answer

Sajjad1994 request you to provide solution to the 3rd question

ashutosh_73 · Answer

For posterity:  
Line:1 says ''A fake can be defined as an artwork intended to deceive.'' This definition matches option ''C''
Other options can be eliminated by the info contained between Line:4 to 11. Below is the concerned text

The(5) Art of Deception reveals the study’s broader concerns.
Indeed, it might equally be entitled Original?, and the
text begins by  noting a variety of possibilities
somewhere between the two extremes . These include
works by an artist’s followers in the style of the master,
(10) deliberate archaism, copying for pedagogical
purposes, and the production of commercial facsimiles.

Bold part says ''between the two extremes'' which conveys the idea that they are neither completely FAKE nor completely original

VerbalBot · Answer

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A fake can be defined as an artwork intended to deceive. The motives

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A fake can be defined as an artwork intended to deceive. The motives

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