Reading comp PrepTest 153 · Section 1 · Question 26
Passage
Passage A is adapted from a book by a music historian, and passage B from an anthropology journal. Passage A
Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic:
Passage A
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Passage A - Griots and blues musicians reflect different traditions, with the former singing about societal trends while the latter sang of tragic personal feelings of isolation that reflected the larger social truth of African American life during and after slavery.
Passage B - Despite their low social status, griots actually knew quite a bit about society and preserved the history, culture, and values through their laudatory songs.
Key Lines:
Passage A:
Lines 1-5 - The debate is introduced, and the Author's opinion stated
Lines 14-18 - The blues is described, and it's background/cause is stated
Lines 35-37 - The thesis is stated
Passage B:
Line 44 - The special role of the griot is stated
Lines 59-65 - The thesis is brought together
Meta-Structure - Relationship Between Passages:
Connection between art and society.
Both passages talk about griots, and they agree on the role that griots served—they both state that they preserved history and culture.
Passage A also talks about blues musicians. It contrasts their role in society with that of the griot, but in both cases, the artist is capturing something about society. Griots preserve societal values, while blues musicians reflect personal tragedies that "capture" a larger social truth.
Both passages also mention the lower social standing of these artists. Griots were the lowest caste and in multi-generational service to a patron. Blues music grew out of the destruction and alienation caused by slavery.
Last Thoughts:
This set of passages is interesting in that they overlap on one topic and have similar theses, even if they focus on different areas.
Passage A
Paragraph 1
- Paragraph note
- A debate is introduced, and some background on one tradition is given
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Commentators - The blues is an extension of West African griots
- Author - They're actually very different
- Griots - Turned culture and traditions into song, preserving them
- Paragraph note
- The other tradition being contrasted is described
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Blues - Reflected personal experience and alienation
- Causal source - Slavery, which destroyed communal values/history
- Griots - Relied on those values/history
- Paragraph note
- Further exploration of the blues
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- "Fundamental tragedy"/source of power - Sings of everyday, but connects to overall social truth of African American life under and post-slavery
Paragraph 1
- Paragraph note
- Background
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Senegal had a caste system, with the griot at the bottom
- Paragraph note
- Background on griots
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Shouting in public wasn't acceptable, but griots could sing in public and had patrons they boosted
- Paragraph note
- Special role of griots is explored
- Views, minor Meta-Structures, points of intersection, and the author's attitude
- Griots accompanied patrons they'd served for generations and sang praises
- Knew social norms and captured history through their songs
Passage A - Griots and blues musicians reflect different traditions, with the former singing about societal trends while the latter sang of tragic personal feelings of isolation that reflected the larger social truth of African American life during and after slavery.
Passage B - Despite their low social status, griots actually knew quite a bit about society and preserved the history, culture, and values through their laudatory songs.
Key Lines:
Passage A:
Lines 1-5 - The debate is introduced, and the Author's opinion stated
Lines 14-18 - The blues is described, and it's background/cause is stated
Lines 35-37 - The thesis is stated
Passage B:
Line 44 - The special role of the griot is stated
Lines 59-65 - The thesis is brought together
Meta-Structure - Relationship Between Passages:
Connection between art and society.
Both passages talk about griots, and they agree on the role that griots served—they both state that they preserved history and culture.
Passage A also talks about blues musicians. It contrasts their role in society with that of the griot, but in both cases, the artist is capturing something about society. Griots preserve societal values, while blues musicians reflect personal tragedies that "capture" a larger social truth.
Both passages also mention the lower social standing of these artists. Griots were the lowest caste and in multi-generational service to a patron. Blues music grew out of the destruction and alienation caused by slavery.
Last Thoughts:
This set of passages is interesting in that they overlap on one topic and have similar theses, even if they focus on different areas.
Question prompt
Passage B suggests that
Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right
Credited answer: B
The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.
Question Type
Social Science
Answer choices
-
AThe society's sense of Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice A is not credited
Incorrect. There's no mention of the society or their values unraveling—that would have been a statement we would have noted! -
BPublic shouting and loud Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice B matches the stem
Correct. Question Type:
Must Be True
Strategy Overview:
Use our notations to check each answer that lines up with our understanding of that passage
Answer Anticipation/Relevant Lines:
While Passage B focused on griots, there was a lot about the society at the time. Since the griots played a special role in that society, most of what is said about them reflects something about the society. That was a main point of the passage!
Since we don't have much ability to anticipate a specific answer, we should head straight to the choices and use our notations and the passage itself to see if we can justify any answer that lines up with our understanding of the passage.
Answer Explanation:
(Lines 44-46) This answer is stated at the beginning of Paragraph 2. We noted it because it highlighted something ""special[]"" about the griots that made them different from others.
Key Takeaway:
Some questions require you to recognize that you can't anticipate an answer and you should head to the choices as soon as possible. The less information or specificity in the question stem, the more likely you're dealing with one of these questions. -
CPeople who served as Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice C is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 42-43; Lines 60-61; Lines 9-10) Griots were of the lowest social caste while serving as guardians of their norms and culture. Passage A suggests that this is true—this answer is trying to trap you by referencing the wrong passage! -
DPowerful nobles relied on Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice D is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 55-57) Passage B notes that nobles used griots to preserve their social status, but it neither states that it was the only method by which they did so nor does it bring up other methods used. As such, there's not enough information to support (or deny) this answer. -
EOnly members of the Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice E is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 62-65; Lines 42-43) Passage B notes that griots understood correct social conduct while being the lowest social caste, so this answer is contradicted by the passage.
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