Reading comp PrepTest 141 · Section 1 · Question 12

Incorrect. (Lines 34-36) The section of the passage relevant here was asked about in Question #10! There, we learned that it's easier to suspend disbelief for a painting than for a photograph. Since paintings are less realistic than photographs, this answer is supported.

Incorrect. (Lines 43-46) The last paragraph is meant to show that Cameron's pictures are "special" because they combine amateurism and artistry. As such, in at least her pictures, amateurishness is a positive quality, so this answer can be eliminated.

Incorrect. (Lines 21-24; Lines 43-46) The passage notes a few incongruities in Cameron's work. The theatricality and artificiality leading to truth. The amateurism and artistry. In these cases, the Author says that they're what contributes to the vitality of her images, so this answer is something he'd agree with.

Incorrect. (Lines 38-40) The passage notes that theater can make us believe that the actor on stage is the characterÉ "for at least some of the time" (Line 39). That suggests that the Author believes it's not always successful, supporting this answer. (And if we include photographs of drama as drama, then the entire Paragraph 2 is meant to show that Cameron's photographs have this quality.)

Correct. Question Type:
Bizarro Must Be True

Strategy Overview:
Review the main point, then head straight to the answers

Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
First, the question type—this is a Bizarro Must Be True question, not a Cannot be True question. If you look at the stem, four of the answers will be things the Author does agree with, and one is something they don't necessarily agree with. That's different from finding an answer they disagree with, so this isn't a Cannot be True question.

These questions are very time consuming, as you'll need to find information in the passage that backs up four of these answers. As such, we shouldn't spend much time anticipating, and we should invest time in working through the answers. For that part, we're going to defer on answers that line up with the Author's main point and focus on answers that don't or are out of the scope of that main point—those are the ones the Author is most likely not to agree with.

Additionally, it's important to note that a lot of correct answers in these questions will be related to something the Author says, but have a key term shift or change in the strength of the statement, making it something we can't commit the Author to.

With that noted, we said the main point was (or you can reread your answer to Question #8):

Despite some nay-sayers, Cameron's "fancy-subject" pictures are vital, true, and special because they capture something unique by showing the true experience of the actors at the same time as they depict a fictional scene.

Answer Explanation:
(Lines 14-20) The Author notes that if Cameron "had succeeded in her project," then her works would be mere curiosities rather than some of the "most vital images" of Victorian photography. As such, according to the Author, Cameron's work is successful despite not fulfilling her intentions. Therefore, he'd disagree with this answer, making it correct. (Note that it didn't have to end up being something he'd disagree with—if an answer were wholly out of scope, we couldn't say that the passage leads us to believe the Author would agree with it, and it would have been correct.)

Key Takeaway:
Given infinite time, you could answer this question by reading an answer and then rereading the whole passage until you found the answer in it, thus eliminating it. Repeat for each other answer. But you don't have time for that.

So what can you do instead? Defer on answers that line up with the Author's main point. Focus on ones that don't. And have strong notes that reflect elements that are key across the exam.

For instance, here, we should have noted Cameron's goal in creating her photographs, as goals are always important. And (E) is the only answer that doesn't line up with the main point of the Author's argument. Those two elements together should have led us to focusing on (E), and then we could have headed back to the passage and seen that it contradicts the Author's view, thus solidifying it as the correct answer.