Logical reasoning PrepTest 124 · Section 3 · Question 10

Incorrect. The art collectors and the Artist are on opposite sides of a debate, so the beliefs of the former don't bolster the latter's.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Argument Structure

Stimulus Summary:
Avant-garde artists - Our work is intended to challenge mainstream beliefs and change things
Art collectors - Popular avant-garde works in their own time are successful
Artist/Author - Society doesn't change fast, and popular art doesn't do what avant-garde artists want their work to do
Therefore - Popular avant-garde works in their own time are unsuccessful

Answer Anticipation:
Viewpoints are important to track in this argument, and there are three here, so it's more difficult than usual! However, by ensuring that we know who each statement is attributed to, we can track the shifts throughout the argument.

Here, the Artist starts by bringing up the intentions of avant-garde artists. From there, she moves on to what some art collectors claim—this is the statement in question. Then, she pivots ("However") to her argument.

Since the roles of statements are defined in relation to the author's argument, we need to know how the Artist and the art collectors intersect. The Artist's conclusion is meant to demonstrate that avant-garde works that are popular in their own time are not successful. This is a direct contradiction of the view of the art collectors, who believe that there is some popular and successful avant-garde art.

So the statement in question represents the opposing point.

Note that we couldn't conclude that it was an opposing point simply because it came before the pivot and it was a separate view from the author's. Those two things are also true of the avant-garde artists themselves, but they aren't an opposing point. That viewpoint doesn't talk about success or popularity, and it's relied on for the argument's conclusion, which means it's not an opposing point, just a separate viewpoint.

Answer Explanation:
This answer establishes the art collectors as the opposing point, which is their role in this argument since their conclusion directly opposes the author's.

Key Takeaway:
Track viewpoints, and always be sure you know who each statement is being attributed to.

Incorrect. Since the view of the avant-garde artists is utilized by the author to prove her point, that opening line is the first premise. However, the avant-garde artists' view doesn't support the art collectors' because the latter has to do with popularity and success, and the avant-garde artists don't speak to those ideas. (They may establish what they believe would make their works a success, but they don't establish whether they succeed. Additionally, if anything, their criteria for success isn't perfectly aligned with that of the art collectors.)

Incorrect. Similar to (C), the avant-garde artists and art collectors aren't necessarily on the same size of this debate, so neither of their statements supports the other argument.

Incorrect. The initial premise is the view of the avant-garde artists, and no one disagrees with their intentions, so this answer is incorrect.