Logical reasoning PrepTest 144 · Section 4 · Question 10

Incorrect. Richard believes that abstract art doesn't represent, so he'd likely agree with this. Jung-Su brings up the the rejection of literal representation and the use of formal representation by abstract artists, suggesting that this is possibly a point of agreement between the two.

Incorrect. Richard states this, but Jung-Su doesn't discuss whether there even are any "fundamental requirement[s]" of art. This is out of scope of his argument.

Incorrect. Jung-Su states this. Richard doesn't discuss musicians, so this is out of scope of his argument.

Incorrect. Richard concludes this. Jung-Su believes that abstract art is a part of the mainstream, but he also concedes that "others might come to say" something else about it. While tempting, we ultimately can't conclude that Jung-Su believes abstract art won't be seen as an aberration. He believes it isn't, but he also suggests that it very well might be seen that way.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
R: Art needs to represent. Abstract art doesn't. So it'll be viewed as an aberration.

JS: Artists can reject literal representation. Abstract artists use formal representation. So abstract art is a part of the artistic mainstream.

Answer Anticipation:
There's actually quite a bit of overlap of topic and a lot of disagreement in the statements of these two individuals.

Going through it, Richard starts by establishing that representation is a requirement of art, and that abstract art doesn't represent. Jung-Su isn't necessarily on board with either of these statements. He says that artists may reject "literal representation," and that abstract artists represent the "purely formal features" of objects. Richard then concludes that abstract art will be seen as an aberration, whereas Jung-Su believes it's part of the mainstream, no matter what others think.

Since Jung-Su takes some issue with essentially everything Richard says, the analysis of the answers will likely come down to the details, with many answers sounding good but featuring a minor term shift that will invalidate them. As such, it'll be important that we read through them carefully.

Answer Explanation:
Richard states that abstract art fails to meet the requirement that art represent, so he would disagree with this answer. Jung-Su believes that abstract art represents the formal features of objects—so he believes it is representational. This is a point at issue between them.

Key Takeaway:
The more areas of disagreement between two speakers, the more likely that the hard part of the Point at Issue question will be analyzing the answer choices. When there's a lot of disagreement, there will be a lot of answers that get the general idea of the disagreement wrong but mess up the details. Go through the answers carefully and be ready to eliminate any answer that has even a minor shift in meaning from the stimulus.