One of the intriguing questions considered by anthropologists concerns

Question

One of the intriguing questions considered by
anthropologists concerns the purpose our early
ancestors had in first creating images of the world
around them. Among these images are 25,000-
  (5)   yearold cave paintings made by the Aurignacians, a
people who supplanted the Neanderthals in Europe
and who produced the earliest known examples of
representational art. Some anthropologists see these
paintings as evidence that the Aurignacians had a
  (10)   more secure life than the Neanderthals. No one under
constant threat of starvation, the reasoning goes,
could afford time for luxuries such as art; moreover,
the art is, in its latter stages at least, so astonishingly
well-executed by almost any standard of excellence
  (15)   that it is highly unlikely it was produced by people
who had not spent a great deal of time perfecting
their skills. In other words, the high level of quality
suggests that Aurignacian art was created by a
distinct group of artists, who would likely have spent
  (20)   most of their time practicing and passing on their
skills while being supported by other members of
their community.

Curiously, however, the paintings were usually
placed in areas accessible only with extreme effort
  (25)   and completely unilluminated by natural light. This
makes it unlikely that these representational cave
paintings arose simply out of a love of beauty or
pride in artistry—had aesthetic enjoyment been the
sole purpose of the paintings, they would presumably
  (30)   have been located where they could have been easily
seen and appreciated.

Given that the Aurignacians were hunter-gatherers
and had to cope with the practical problems of
extracting a living from a difficult environment, many
  (35)   anthropologists hypothesize that the paintings were
also intended to provide a means of ensuring a steady
supply of food. Since it was common among
pretechnological societies to believe that one can gain
power over an animal by making an image of it,
  (40)   these anthropologists maintain that the Aurignacian
paintings were meant to grant magical power over the
Aurignacians’ prey—typically large, dangerous
animals such as mammoths and bison. The images
were probably intended to make these animals
  (45)   vulnerable to the weapons of the hunters, an
explanation supported by the fact that many of the
pictures show animals with their hearts outlined in
red, or with bright, arrow-shaped lines tracing paths
to vital organs. Other paintings clearly show some
  (50)   animals as pregnant, perhaps in an effort to assure
plentiful hunting grounds. There is also evidence that
ceremonies of some sort were performed before these
images. Well-worn footprints of dancers can still be
discerned in the clay floors of some caves, and
  (55)   pictures of what appear to be shamans, or religious
leaders, garbed in fantastic costumes, are found
among the painted animals.    1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately describes the author’s position regarding the claims attributed to anthropologists in the third paragraph?

(A) implicit acceptance
(B) hesitant agreement
(C) noncommittal curiosity
(D) detached skepticism
(E) broad disagreement

2 
 2. The passage provides information that answers which one of the following questions?

(A) For how long a period did the Neanderthals occupy Europe?
(B) How long did it take for the Aurignacians to supplant the Neanderthals?
(C) Did the Aurignacians make their homes in caves?
(D) What are some of the animals represented in Aurignacian cave paintings?
(E) What other prehistoric groups aside from the Aurignacians produced representational art?

3 
 3. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) The cave paintings indicate that the Aurignacians lived a relatively secure life compared to most other hunter-gatherer cultures.
(B) Skill in art was essential to becoming an Aurignacian shaman.
(C) Prehistoric hunter-gatherers did not create any art solely for aesthetic purposes.
(D) All art created by the Aurignacians was intended to grant magical power over other beings.
(E) The Aurignacians sought to gain magical power over their prey by means of ceremonial acts in addition to painted images.

4 
 4. The author mentions the relative inaccessibility of the Aurignacian cave paintings primarily to

(A) stress the importance of the cave paintings to the lives of the artists who painted them by indicating the difficulties they had to overcome to do so
(B) lay the groundwork for a fuller explanation of the paintings’ function
(C) suggest that only a select portion of the Aurignacian community was permitted to view the paintings
(D) help explain why the paintings are still well preserved
(E) support the argument that Aurignacian artists were a distinct and highly skilled group

5 
 5. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following claims about the Aurignacians?

(A) They were technologically no more advanced than the Neanderthals they supplanted.
(B) They were the first humans known to have worn costumes for ceremonial purposes.
(C) They had established some highly specialized social roles.
(D) They occupied a less hostile environment than the Neanderthals did.
(E) They carved images of their intended prey on their weapons to increase the weapons’ efficacy.

Mithulesh · Answer

Can someone explain why the answer for question 5 is not E and its C??

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Why C is correct?

(C) Paragraph 1  suggests that the Aurignacians had distinct artists, and  paragraph 3  that they had hunters, dancers, and shamans, any and all of which is enough to support (C)’s very limited and reasonable inference. For the record:

Why E is incorrect?

(E)  All of the images discussed, as far as we’re told, were painted on cave walls, not on weapons.

RS1908 · Answer

Why is Q1 answer is A and not B?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

The question deals with the author’s view of the  paragraph 3 “magic over prey”  hypothesis, but as noted above, her language endorses both hypotheses that were originally conceived by anthropologists. The subtle way in which she does so makes  “implicit acceptance,” (A) , exceptionally sound.

(B)  is incorrect because the author shows no hesitation in entertaining the idea that Aurignacian art was partly designed to bewitch their prey. Indeed, she accepts it wholeheartedly.

Shivanibh25 · Answer

Why the answer to Q4 is B and not D? There is no fuller explanation. The passage just takes one assumption which can't be the case (regarding location) rather than stating any reason. Can someone please explain?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

The paintings’ inaccessibility comes up in  paragraph 2 , whose overall purpose is to cast doubt on the idea that a love of beauty was the  “sole purpose”  of the Aurignacian cave paintings. The author proceeds to what she believes is an additional—and perhaps the main—purpose, which makes  (B)  an ideal summary of the detail’s purpose.  paragraph 3’s hypothesis  certainly qualifies as  “fuller”  than paragraph 1’s. The author has no interest in discussing the paintings’ degree of preservation. It’s outside the scope albeit, we suppose, plausible. Hence  (B)  is correct.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following claims about the Aurignacians?

Explanation

(A)  Having  “supplanted”  the Neanderthals you’d think that the Aurignacians probably outstripped them, technologically speaking, but certainly there’s no evidence that both civilizations’ technology was on par. Eliminate.

(B)  The Aurignacians did wear costumes, but were they the first to do so? No evidence provided. Eliminate.

(C) Paragraph 1  suggests that the Aurignacians had distinct artists, and paragraph 3 that they had hunters, dancers, and shamans, any and all of which is enough to support (C)’s very limited and reasonable inference. For the record:

(D)  Nothing in the first  10 lines  (the only place the Neanderthals are mentioned) supports an inference about relative hostility of environment. Certainly  lines 32–34  don’t suggest that the Aurignacians were any better off.

(E)  All of the images discussed, as far as we’re told, were painted on cave walls, not on weapons.

Answer: C

leyermo1234 · Answer

Main Point of the Passage: 
The main point of this passage is to discuss the possible reasons behind the creation of cave paintings by the Aurignacians, exploring the idea that these paintings may have served a purpose beyond simple aesthetic enjoyment, such as having magical or ceremonial significance related to hunting and ensuring a steady food supply.

Tone of the Author: 
The tone of the author appears to be one of noncommittal curiosity. The author presents various hypotheses from anthropologists regarding the purpose of the cave paintings without clearly endorsing or rejecting any of them.

Now, let's explain each question and its answer choices:

1. Which one of the following most accurately describes the author’s position regarding the claims attributed to anthropologists in the third paragraph?
 (A) implicit acceptance - Correct.  The author presents the anthropologists' claims without overt disagreement or skepticism, suggesting a tacit acceptance or at least a willingness to consider these ideas as plausible.
(B) hesitant agreement - Incorrect. There is no indication in the text that the author hesitates in their acceptance of the anthropologists' claims.
(C) noncommittal curiosity - Incorrect. Although the author is curious, they do not explicitly withhold commitment to the claims but rather report them as credible hypotheses.
(D) detached skepticism - Incorrect. There is no clear evidence in the text that the author is skeptical of the anthropologists' claims.
(E) broad disagreement - Incorrect. The author does not express broad disagreement with the anthropologists' claims.

2. The passage provides information that answers which one of the following questions?
(A) For how long a period did the Neanderthals occupy Europe? - Incorrect. The passage does not provide this information.
(B) How long did it take for the Aurignacians to supplant the Neanderthals? - Incorrect. The passage does not provide this information.
(C) Did the Aurignacians make their homes in caves? - Incorrect. The passage does not discuss where the Aurignacians lived.
 (D) What are some of the animals represented in Aurignacian cave paintings? - Correct.  The passage mentions mammoths and bison as some of the animals depicted in the paintings.
(E) What other prehistoric groups aside from the Aurignacians produced representational art? - Incorrect. The passage does not discuss other prehistoric groups' art.

3. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?
(A) The cave paintings indicate that the Aurignacians lived a relatively secure life compared to most other hunter-gatherer cultures. - Incorrect. The passage does not make a comparison with other hunter-gatherer cultures.
(B) Skill in art was essential to becoming an Aurignacian shaman. - Incorrect. The passage does not claim that artistic skill was a prerequisite for becoming a shaman.
(C) Prehistoric hunter-gatherers did not create any art solely for aesthetic purposes. - Incorrect. The passage does not make a sweeping statement about the motivations behind all prehistoric art.
(D) All art created by the Aurignacians was intended to grant magical power over other beings. - Incorrect. The passage does not claim that all art had this purpose, only that it is a hypothesis for some of the art.
 (E) The Aurignacians sought to gain magical power over their prey by means of ceremonial acts in addition to painted images. - Correct.  The passage suggests that ceremonies were performed and that images may have been believed to grant power over animals, indicating a belief in magic and ceremony.

4. The author mentions the relative inaccessibility of the Aurignacian cave paintings primarily to
(A) stress the importance of the cave paintings to the lives of the artists who painted them by indicating the difficulties they had to overcome to do so - Incorrect. The passage does not focus on the difficulties faced by the artists.
 (B) lay the groundwork for a fuller explanation of the paintings’ function - Correct.  By mentioning the inaccessibility, the author sets the stage for exploring the idea that the paintings had a purpose beyond mere aesthetics, such as magical or ceremonial functions.
(C) suggest that only a select portion of the Aurignacian community was permitted to view the paintings - Incorrect. The passage does not discuss who was allowed to view the paintings.
(D) help explain why the paintings are still well preserved - Incorrect. The preservation of the paintings is not addressed in relation to their inaccessibility.
(E) support the argument that Aurignacian artists were a distinct and highly skilled group - Incorrect. The skill of the artists is discussed earlier, and their inaccessibility does not directly support this argument.

siddhantvarma · Answer

Good passage. Took 11mins 11s and got all correct except the last question.

I was really confused as to why answer to question 5 is C and not D. After realising what I did wrong, I'm sharing my two cents on this in case it's helpful for someone else who lands in the same boat.

Let's look at the question again:

5. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following claims about the Aurignacians?

(A) They were technologically no more advanced than the Neanderthals they supplanted.  
There's nothing mentioned in the passage that talks about technological advancement of either of the two groups, we can rule out A easily.

(B) They were the first humans known to have worn costumes for ceremonial purposes.  
While it is mentioned that Aurignacians worn consumed for ceremonial purposes, it's never mentioned that  they were the first humans  to do so. We can rule out B.

(C) They had established some highly specialized social roles. 
Take a look at the last paragraph:
 
There's some evidence that Aurignacians were shamans or religious leaders which implies they may have a specialized role in the society then.   C sounds good, let's hold onto it.   
 (By the way, the first time I was doing this question I completely strike out C because I skimmed through the last few sentences of the third paragraph quickly. I noticed I do that for a lot of RC passages, especially when I feel I'm not doing well in terms of the time constraints, but a lesson here is to give each paragraph equal amount of deliberation when going through it so that you don't miss out on anything important from a high level overview)

(D) They occupied a less hostile environment than the Neanderthals did. 
The only place where you can infer this from the passage is the first paragraph which talks about:
 
But wait, can you infer from the statement that  Aurignacians occupied a less hostile environment than the Neanderthals?  Not quite. What the passage mentions is a  viewpoint , that too, of only  some anthropologists . The question, on the other hand, asks us  author would be most likely to agree  with.
Further down in the second paragraph, we can see that the author calls into question the same viewpoint of those  "some of the anthropologists" .
 
The author tells us another group's viewpoint that many anthropologists hypothesize that the paintings were also intended to provide a means of ensuring a steady supply of food.
 Pausing a minute on option D and reflecting on the passage helps draw these findings out pretty easily.  
The mistake I made here which led me to choose D was that it was based  completely out of my memory . Hence I wrongly took "Some anthropologists see these paintings as evidence that the Aurignacians had a more secure life than the Neanderthals." to be " All Aurignacians  occupied a less hostile environment than the Neanderthals did". Had I taken a few seconds to go back to these lines in the passage, I wouldn't rely on my memory to select an answer choice.

(E) They carved images of their intended prey on their weapons to increase the weapons’ efficacy.

A lot of people were confused as to why answer choice E is incorrect. Let's go back to the third paragraph:
 
Nowhere it's mentioned that the  Aurignacians carved images on the weapons  for any purpose whatsoever. They used weapons to hunt animals, they put these animals in their paintings because they believed it'd help them become powerful enough to hunt them. How exactly? We don't know. To say that they carved images on the weapons is clearly out of scope because we don't know anything with certainty about how they used the paintings, if at all, with their weapons.   Therefore, E is incorrect.

The correct answer choice is therefore, C.

One of the intriguing questions considered by anthropologists concerns

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One of the intriguing questions considered by anthropologists concerns

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