Reading comp PrepTest 140 · Section 4 · Question 5

Incorrect. (Lines 45-48) This answer describes one type of "painting" done by Gilliam, so we should have noted it while reading through the passage.

Incorrect. (Lines 35-39) Expectations—and whether they're met—are frequently relevant on the exam (they have a subjective/objective nature), and so we noted this detail at the beginning of Paragraph 3.

Incorrect. (Lines 12-16; Lines 35-39) It's noted that Gilliam reacted against contemporary African American contemporaries, "much of which" was explicitly political to the point where the public developed an expectation for it. In bucking those expectations, it's implied that Gilliam's views were rare. This answer also lines up with the overall point of the passage—that Gilliam was an innovator who went against expectations and trends of the time.

Incorrect. Lines 6-11; Lines 16-21; Lines 28-35) Throughout the passage, the Author notes that Gilliam felt other art was too conservative and literal, and he became a member of the Color Field style in order to free himself up for "experimentation and innovation" (Line 21).

Correct. Question Type:
Bizarro Must Be True

Strategy Overview:
Rely on our understanding of the passage, notes, and the passage itself

Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
Bizarro Must Be True questions in RC can be the most time-consuming, as you have to find language that backs up 4 of the 5 answers in order to eliminate them. After all, you can't find something that doesn't exist, and so you'd have to compare the right answer against the entire passage in order to justify selecting it.

That said, there are a few things we can use to help us here. First, if an answer more or less lines up with the main point of the argument, then it's almost certainly something in the passage. Second, the correct answer often does bring up a concept from the passage, while either shifting the language away from that content, making it too strong, or contradicting the passage. If you can identify a part of the passage that shows an answer to fall into one of these camps, you can feel comfortable selecting it.

But these questions are mostly about time management, and we should be heading to the answers ASAP.

Answer Explanation:
(Lines 43-45) The passage notes that such an everyday image inspired Gilliam, but it doesn't say that such images are "most likely" to give artists inspiration. This answer takes something from the passage and strongly generalizes from it, and so it's not something that the passage says, making it the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
The correct answer in an RC Bizarro Must Be True question often does bring up a concept from the passage, but it will shift the language away from that content, make it too strong or general, or contradict the passage. Here, the correct answer fell into the second camp, taking an example from the passage and treating it as if it were the "most likely" thing to happen.