In keeping with the notable incorporation of operatic elements into th

Question

In keeping with the notable incorporation of operatic elements into the rock music lexicon, the genre in the 1970s experienced a significant shift in emphasis away from recording and toward music performance itself. Several factors effected this change. First, the extended length and the moralizing subject matter of songs of the era rendered them less appropriate for radio play and more suitable for public presentation. Additionally, the advent of the concept album, in which multiple tracks revolved around a single unifying narrative or theme, furnished a basis upon which similarly calibrated performances could be enacted. Finally, as PA system technology improved, it became possible to hold concerts with 100,000 people or more, which encouraged artists to craft concerts that diverged from the merely musical toward the experiential. Bands began conceiving of their performances as shows, more akin to musical theater guided by plot and setting than to the traditional concert guided by the omnipresent set-list. Instead of simply playing one song after another, therefore, bands developed full performance medleys revolving around specific motifs, and punctuated by bombastic light shows, costume changes, and other massive stunts. For example, the popular British band Pink Floyd famously built a barrier in the middle of stage during one performance then had it dramatically knocked down mid-show as a promotion for their new album  The Wall.     1 
 1. The passage cites all of the following as reasons for the inclusion of operatic elements into the rock music genre in the 1970s EXCEPT:

(A) Changes in concert equipment changed the way shows could be delivered.
(B) Pink Floyd’s dramatic staging served to promote an influential album.
(C) Shifts in the content of the music contributed to the songs having a more “story-telling” quality.
(D) One medium through which rock songs had typically been delivered to the public became less conducive to the genre.
(E) Artists altered their performances to reflect changes in the modern concert ambiance.

2  
 2. In the context of the passage, the word “effected” ( Highlighted ) most nearly means

(A) influenced
(B) moved forward
(C) transformed
(D) determined
(E) brought about

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

1. The passage cites all of the following as reasons for the inclusion of operatic elements into the rock music genre in the 1970s EXCEPT:

While it is true that Pink Floyd’s dramatic staging served to promote its album, this is not a  “reason for the inclusion of operatic elements into the rock music genre in the 1970s.”  It is an example, not a cause.  Choice (A)  is incorrect because the passage states that PA systems (a type of concert equipment) changed.

Choice (C)  is incorrect because the passage states that concept albums contained  “narrative”  themes.

Choice (D)  is incorrect because the passage states that rock songs were less appropriate for radio play.

Choice (E)  is incorrect because the passage states that the larger concerts  “encouraged artists to craft concerts that diverged from the merely musical toward the experiential.”  
 
  Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

2. In the context of the passage, the word “effected” (     Highlighted     ) most nearly means

The passage discusses several phenomena occurring in the 1970s that were in part responsible for  “a significant shift in emphasis away from recording and toward music performance itself.”  These factors thus  “brought about,”  or  “effected,”  this change. Don’t get confused by  “influenced,”  one synonym of which is  “affected.”  
 
  Answer: E

In keeping with the notable incorporation of operatic elements into th

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