bad

@Ceci, Happy to help. Before we look at this question, let's discuss how to handle main point questions in RC. If you're getting lots of main point questions wrong, it's likely because you're not truly comprehending what's going on in the passage. This could be due to reading too fast, or maybe the topics are boring for you and hard for you to get into. You need to think of the RC passages like a puzzle that you're trying to solve. The first piece of advice I have for you is to make sure you're understanding each sentence that you're reading. If you don't understand a sentence, don't just keep reading on because this will likely cause even less of an understanding because RC sentences build upon one another. If you don't understand a sentence, re-read it carefully so that you can digest what's going on. You might want to try reading a bit slower. RC passages shouldn't be read like you're reading fun fiction novels. Each sentence needs to be internalized, and you need to always be thinking of how what you're reading relates to the previous sentence(s) you've read in the passage. Also, while you're reading the passage, think to yourself, "What's your point?" Engage with the author. Also, try to make predictions. If the author opens up with a question, try and predict what the answer will be or how the author will direct the rest of the passage. It doesn't matter if your prediction is right or wrong; all that matters is that you're making predictions because it will help you be more engaged with the passage and will also make you more interested in the material even if you find the subject matter boring. If you're wrong about a prediction, you'll remember being wrong about it, and if you're right, you'll remember it because you guessed correctly. It's a win-win scenario. You should view main point questions as a general gauge for "did I get what was going on in this passage?" The good thing is that you can totally improve lots on the RC passages if you continue to put in the work. Try out the steps above on your next RC sections and let us know how they go! Now that we've discussed the general RC strategy for main point questions, let's take a look at (E) and (D). You said you chose (E) and don't understand why it's wrong and (D) is right, so let's take a look. (E) says the main point of the passage is "Perfume-making and oil painting should be regarded as sister arts, both of which involve the skilled application of complex configurations of ingredients." It's true that the author refers to perfume-making and oil painting as sister arts in lines 13 and 14, but this statement is actually used as support for the author's main point. The author states that because perfume-making and oil painting, they should also share the same status as works of art. Because (E) is describing the author's support for her main point—and not the main point itself—we can get rid of this answer choice. (D) says, "Great perfumes are works of art and deserve respect and attention as such." (D) captures the overall point that the author is trying to make with this passage. It's important to recall that the passage as a whole works toward providing support for the question posed in line 7, "Why is great perfume not taken more seriously?" This rhetorical question posed by the author is the main point of the passage, as the passage as a whole supports the notion that great perfume should be taken more seriously as a work of art. The rest of the passage works to provide support for this assertion. The author uses a majority of the passage to discuss why great perfumes should be considered works of art in the second and third paragraphs. The author contends that perfumes have lots of similarities to other types of art, such as oil painting, and because of this, they deserve the same type of attention and appreciation that these other art forms get (lines 37 to 43 of the passage). (D) captures the overall point of the author well, as the author spends most of the passage discussing why great perfumes should be considered works of art and also get the same type of respect other artistic works receive. (D) is the correct answer choice. Does this make sense? Let us know if you have any more questions!

I understand why E is incorrect, but I got thrown off by D because of the word "great." This seemed too strong bc I thought the author was arguing that perfumes in general are works of art

The author is arguing explicitly that great perfumes are works of art: I would point to line 7. When making their comparison, the author highlights the best perfumes, and famous examples of incredible perfumes. While I don't think they're saying that only great ones are art, the argument focuses on great perfumes.