Given the amount of time and effort that curators, collectors, dealers

Question

Given the amount of time and effort that curators,
collectors, dealers, scholars, and critics spend on
formulating judgments of taste in relation to oil
paintings, it seems odd that so few are prepared to
  (5)   apply some of the same skills in exploring works of art
that stimulate another sense altogether: that of smell.
Why is great perfume not taken more seriously?
While art professionals are very serious about many
branches of literature, architecture, and music, I have
  (10)   yet to find a curatorial colleague who regularly beats
a path to the fragrance counter in search of, say,
 Joy Parfum , the 1930 masterpiece by Henri Alméras.

And yet, the parallels between what ought to be
regarded as sister arts are undeniable. Painters
  (15)   combine natural and, these days, synthetic pigments
with media such as oils and resins, much as the
perfumer carefully formulates natural and synthetic
chemical compounds. The Old Masters deployed oil
paint across the color spectrum, and applied layers on
  (20)   a determining ground and various kinds of
underpainting, slowly building up to the surface,
completing their work with thin glazes on top.
Thus various types of mashed-up earth and vegetable
suspended in linseed or poppy oil are brushed over a
  (25)   stretch of woven fabric. They begin to dry, and a
picture is born. Its appearance changes over time,
because the tendency of oil paint is to become
gradually more transparent.

So, too, talented “noses” experiment with
  (30)   complex configurations of olfactory elements and
produce in symphonic combination many small
sensations, at times discordant, sweet, bitter,
melancholy, or happy, as the case may be. These
combinations change and develop in sequence or in unison
  (35)   as the substance and its constituents evaporate
at different rates, some quickly, others slowly, thanks
to the warmth of our skin. A brilliant perfumer may
thus devise an imaginary world no less powerful, or
intimate, than that of a great composer or painter, and
  (40)   in calling on our capacity to discover there some
memory of childhood or of a long-forgotten
experience, perfumers are in the same business as
the artist who creates the illusion of life on canvas.

Perhaps one reason that truly great smells are so often
  (45)   undervalued is that perfumes are today made and
distributed under the not particularly watchful gaze of
a few large corporations. The cynical bean counters in
Paris and Zurich do not hesitate to tamper with old
formulas, insisting on the substitution of cheap
  (50)   chemical compounds that approximately resemble
rarer, better ingredients in an effort to increase profits.
They do not tell their customers when or how they do
this; indeed, they presume their customers won’t
notice the difference. Consequently, fine perfume is
  (55)   now hopelessly entangled with the international
cosmetic dollar, and ill-served by marketing and
public relations.    1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

(A) Despite their pursuit of profit, corporations that produce and market perfumes value artistic skill.
(B) A masterpiece perfume evokes reactions that are no less powerful than those evoked by a masterpiece in music or painting.
(C) The corporate nature of the perfume business is the reason that so few truly great perfumes are now produced.
(D) Great perfumes are works of art and deserve respect and attention as such.
(E) Perfume-making and oil painting should be regarded as sister arts, both of which involve the skilled application of complex configurations of ingredients.

2 
 2. In which one of the following circumstances would the author of the passage be most likely to believe that a perfume manufacturer is justified in altering the formula of a classic perfume?

(A) The alteration makes the perfume more closely resemble Joy Parfum.
(B) The alteration is done to replace an ingredient that is currently very costly.
(C) The alteration replaces a synthetic chemical compound with a natural chemical compound.
(D) The alteration is done to make the perfume popular with a wider variety of customers.
(E) The alteration takes a previously altered perfume closer to its creator’s original formula.

3 
 3. The word “noses” (line 29) refers to

(A) perfumers
(B) perfume collectors
(C) particular perfumes
(D) people with expertise in marketing perfumes
(E) people with expertise in pricing perfumes

4 
 4. The passage provides the most support for which one of the following statements about art?

(A) A work of art can bring about an aesthetic experience through the memories that it evokes.
(B) In any work of art, one can detect the harmonious combination of many small sensations.
(C) A work of art will inevitably fail if it is created for the sake of commercial success.
(D) The best works of art improve with age.
(E) Some forms of art are superior to others.

5 
 5. The author would be most likely to hold which one of the following opinions about Joy Parfum by Henri Alméras?

(A) As time goes on, its artistry is appreciated more and more.
(B) As a work of art, it is no less important than a great piece of sculpture.
(C) It was the foremost accomplishment of its time in perfume making.
(D) It is a fragrance that is appreciated only by people with refined taste.
(E) Its original formula is similar to many other perfumes of the 1930s.

6 
 6. Which one of the following is most analogous to what the author calls the “cynical bean counters” (line 47)?

(A) an art museum curator who caters to popular tastes in choosing works for an exhibition
(B) a movie studio executive who imposes cost-saving production restrictions on a film’s director
(C) a director of an art institute who cuts the annual budget because of projections of declining revenues
(D) a business executive who convinces her company to invest in art merely for the sake of tax benefits
(E) an art school dean who slashes the budget of one project in order to increase the budget of his pet project

7 
 7. The last paragraph most strongly supports which one of the following statements?

(A) The names of the world’s best perfumes are not known to most customers.
(B) The profitability of a particular perfume is not a good indicator of its quality.
(C) Companies that sell perfume pay little attention to what their customers want.
(D) Perfume makers of the past would never tamper with established formulas.
(E) Companies that sell perfume make most of their profits on perfumes in the least expensive price ranges.

8 
 8. Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage?

(A) The first paragraph makes an observation, the middle paragraphs elaborate on that observation while considering one possible explanation for it, and the final paragraph delivers an alternative explanation.
(B) The first paragraph advances a thesis, the middle paragraphs present a case for that thesis, and the final paragraph considers and rejects one particular challenge to that thesis.
(C) The first paragraph sets out a challenge to received wisdom, the middle paragraphs present a response to that challenge, and the final paragraph presents a concrete example that supports the response.
(D) The first paragraph poses a question, the middle paragraphs present a case that helps to justify the posing of that question, and the final paragraph presents a possible answer to the question.
(E) The first paragraph outlines a problem, the middle paragraphs present two consequences of that problem, and the final paragraph attempts to identify the parties that are responsible for the problem.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. The word “noses” (line 29) refers to

Explanation

The correct answer will be the statement that is best supported by evidence within the passage text. The passage says that the  “noses”  experiment with olfactory elements and produce sensations, so the correct answer should reflect that they are involved in the design and production of perfume.

A.  Yes.   Perfumers are involved in the design and production of perfume.

B. No.  Collectors would not be producing sensations.

C. No.  Perfumes would not be experimenting.

D. No.  Marketing people would not be involved in experimenting with smells.

E. No.  Pricing people would not be involved in experimenting with smells.

Answer: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. The passage provides the most support for which one of the following statements about art?

Explanation

The correct answer will be the statement about art that is best supported by evidence within the passage text.

A.  Yes.   At the end of the second paragraph, the author argues that a brilliant perfumer, like other artists, can call upon memories.

B. No.  This answer choice is extreme. It is not supported that this combination can be detected in any work of art.

C. No.  This answer choice is extreme. The author does not argue that aiming for commercial success inevitably results in failure.

D. No.  This answer choice is extreme. The author discusses that the Old Masters used oil paints that causes changes in appearance over time, but there is no argument that they are the best.

E. No.  The author does not argue the relative superiority of forms of art, only that perfume should be considered an art.

Answer: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. The author would be most likely to hold which one of the following opinions about Joy Parfum by Henri Alméras?

Explanation

The correct answer will be the statement about Joy Parfum that is best supported by the evidence within the passage text.

A. No.  There is no mention of increased appreciation of Joy Parfum, only a comment that colleagues do not eagerly seek it out.

B.  Yes.   The author describes it as a masterpiece in the first paragraph and spends the next two paragraphs detailing how perfume parallels other art.

C. No.  This answer choice is extreme. While the author calls Joy Parfum a masterpiece, there is no support for the idea that it was the foremost accomplishment of its time.

D. No.  There is no discussion of who appreciates it.

E. No.  There is no discussion of how it compares to other perfumes of its era.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. Which one of the following is most analogous to what the author calls the “cynical bean counters” (line 47)?

Explanation

The question is asking for analogous behavior to that of the“cynical bean counters.” In the fourth paragraph, the author argues that the bean counters tamper with old formulas in order to reduce costs and presume customers won’t notice the difference, so the correct answer should involve a reduction of costs without regard for quality.

A. No.  This does not involve saving money.

B.  Yes.   This involves saving money without regard for how it will affect quality.

C. No.  While this answer choice may be tempting due to the budget reduction, the second half of it does not match with the situation in the passage as there is no anticipation of declining revenue as a motivation for cost-cutting measures.

D. No.  This does not involve curtailing costs.

E. No.  While this answer choice may be tempting because it mentions slashing a budget, there is no favoritism of one project over another in the passage.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. The last paragraph most strongly supports which one of the following statements?

Explanation

The correct answer will be the statement that is best supported by the evidence within the passage text.

A. No.  There is no discussion of consumer knowledge of perfume names.

B.  Yes.   The last paragraph discusses that corporations are substituting cheap chemical compounds that only approximate rarer, better ingredients in order to increase profits.

C. No.  There is no discussion of what consumers want.

D. No.  This answer is extreme. There is no support for the claim that perfume makers of the past would never tamperwith a formula.

E. No.  There is no discussion of which perfumes result in the highest profits.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. In which one of the following circumstances would the author of the passage be most likely to believe that a perfume manufacturer is justified in altering the formula of a classic perfume?

Explanation

The question is asking for a situation that would be compatible with the author’s views about changing perfume formulations. In the last paragraph, the author criticizes modern companies for altering classic formulas by substituting cheap chemical compounds, so the correct answer will respect the original formulas.

A. No.  While the author thinks that Joy Parfum is a masterpiece, he does not indicate that other perfumes should smells just like it.

B. No.  This is what the author criticizes in the fourth paragraph.

C. No.  While tempting, the author does not argue that natural chemical compounds are better than synthetic ones, he merely criticizes substitutions of chemical compounds (which could be natural or synthetic) for rarer, better ingredients.

D. No.  The author does not discuss popularity.

E.  Yes.   The author criticizes changing perfumes from their original formulas so he or she would support undoing those changes.

Answer: E

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

Explanation

The main point of the  first paragraph  is to question why great perfume isn’t taken as seriously as other works of art. The  second paragraph  claims a parallel between perfume and other arts and details some of the characteristics of oil paintings. The main point of the  third paragraph  is to detail the characteristics of fine perfume that parallel the characteristics of fine oil paintings. The main point of the  third paragraph  is to discuss one possible reason that perfumes are not respected as art: that modern companies tamper with old formulas in a way that degrades quality. The Bottom Line of the passage as a whole is that fine perfume should be viewed as art and treated with similar respect.

Use your Bottom Line of the passage to help you to evaluate the choices. The correct answer will describe the main idea of the passage.

A. No.  In the fourth paragraph, the author criticizes modern perfume companies for tampering with formulas.

B. No.  While this answer choice is supported by the passage, it is a premise that the author sets out in support of the main point.

C. No.  The author’s discussion of the declining quality of perfume is limited to the last paragraph of the passage.

D.  Yes.   This accurately matches the Bottom Line that fine perfume should be viewed as art and treated with similar respect.

E. No.  While this answer choice is supported by the passage, it is a premise that the author sets out in support of the main point

Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

8. Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage?

Explanation

The correct answer will correctly follow the organization of the passage. Use your notes on the main point of each paragraph to evaluate the answer choices.

A. No.  While the first paragraph makes an observation that perfumes are not respected as art, the middle paragraphs do not elaborate on that idea; rather, they argue that perfume should be art. The explanation in the final paragraph is not an alternative.

B. No.  The first paragraph does not offer a thesis, and the final paragraph does not reject a challenge.

C. No.  While this answer choice may be tempting, the final paragraph describes a possible reason for the conventional wisdom rather than support for the idea that perfume should be treated as art.

D.  Yes.   The first paragraph asks why perfume isn’t respected as art, the middle paragraphs discuss why perfume should be respected as art, and the final paragraph discusses one reason that perhaps perfume is not respected as art.

E. No.  The first paragraph does not describe a problem, there are no consequences in the middle paragraph, and the final paragraph is focused on a possible explanation even though it makes mention of who’s likely to blame.

Answer: D

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Given the amount of time and effort that curators, collectors, dealers

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Given the amount of time and effort that curators, collectors, dealers

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