Bunuel wrote:
Traditional regional performing arts groups across the country provide an important service to small communities. Most of these groups focus on the performance of time-honored material and offer people within the communities an opportunity to experience excellent traditional performances without having to travel far. Unfortunately, federal funding tends to support avant-garde groups whose focus is largely on progressive material. Although these groups are unquestionably an essential facet of the performing arts, they do not generally draw as wide of audiences and thus are receiving an undue amount of federal funding for the service that they provide to a community and the return on the federal investment. Those responsible for providing federal grants to performing arts groups should reconsider the allotment of funding in order to favor traditional performing arts groups with respect to their service to a community.
The argument in the passage above proceeds by
(A) presenting a general statement, developing it with details, and suggesting an action to be taken
(B) demanding attention for a cause, citing potential dangers for ignoring it, and insisting upon change
(C) undermining the opposition, calling previous activity into question, and drawing a conclusion
(D) beginning with a call to action, pointing out problems with those who oppose it, and concluding with a general remark
(E) publicizing a concern, discussing possible alternatives to address it, and encouraging action
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Overview: In this question, the passage presents an argument about the need for better standards to determine federal funding for the performing arts, and the student is asked to identify the way in which the argument proceeds. In order to do so, the student should consider the argument step by step: (1) a general claim about the importance of performing arts groups who offer traditional repertoire, (2) a claim about the value to small communities of such groups, including their close proximity to small communities, (3) the comment that federal funding favors groups with progressive material, even though these groups draw smaller audiences than traditional groups, and (4) the claim that federal funding should allot more money to traditional groups. With these steps of the argument in mind, the student can consider the answer choices.
The Correct Answer:A Based on the outline presented above, it is clear that answer choice (A) is the one that best describes the pattern of reasoning in the passage. The author of the passage begins by presenting a general statement about the importance of traditional groups, develops this view with supporting details, and then concludes with a suggestion for future action. Therefore, answer choice (A) is the correct answer.
The Incorrect Answers:B Although the author of the passage raises awareness about a problem, there is no indication that the author is demanding attention at any time, and based on the opening of the passage it is clear that the author does not begin the argument with a demand; rather, the author begins by presenting a general claim. Answer choice (B) is incorrect.
C Far from undermining the opposition, the author points out that avant-garde groups contribute something very important to the performing arts. And although the author does raise questions about the way federal funding is allotted to the performing arts, the author does not draw a conclusion from this but rather offers a suggestion for an alternative action. Therefore, answer choice (C) may be eliminated.
D The author does not begin the passage with a call to action. Instead, the author opens with a general remark about the importance of traditional performing arts groups. What is more, the author does not at any point discuss problems with those who oppose the argument in the passage, so answer choice (D) is clearly incorrect.
E The author does publicize a concern within the passage and encourage action to be taken, but the author does not discuss alternatives for addressing the concern. Nor does this answer choice reflect the progression of the author’s argument within the passage. Answer choice (E) is incorrect.
close
28 Jun 2021, 09:00
45%
(medium)
32%
(02:14)
wrong 
