Q18

[jennifer]

how is A correct and what makes C in correct...thank you

[xhelenyi]

Hey Jennifer, here's my thought process on how I answered this question:

During the first round of eliminations, I got rid of (B), (D), and (E). Between (A) and (C), I was awfully tempted to pick (C) when I remembered the words of my wise tutor (aka mshermn). For RC he said that when you're down to two answer choices, eliminate the one that cannot be proven in the text (rather than trying to prove one answer choice over the other).

With that in mind, I realized that I couldn't prove (C) based on the text. The passage doesn't mention different choreographies being made for various cultural groups. In my review, I saw that lines 53-4 and 59-61 support answer choice (A).

If it weren't for my tutor's advice, I probably would've chosen (C). And to my tutor, I'm sorry if I butchered what you said

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

And the apprentice becomes the master! Great work Helen! Your line references to support answer choice (A) are the exact places in the passage that I would turn to.

Another thing that I would add is that towards the top of the 4th paragraph we're told that Walker's success rested on her ability to address within her interpretation of the cakewalk the varying and sometimes conflicting demands placed on the dance. We know that there were many interpretations of the cakewalk. Over the course of the first three paragraphs, we're told about many of these interpretations. But Walker's success was in molding those interpretations into her own - not in creating a different version for each audience.

Jennifer, does that help clear this question up?

[pinkdatura]

I am wondering the reason B is wrong. Is it wrong because it is not Walker accentuated satiric thing but he seems only work on address more appeals and popularizing the cakewalk?
Also I am a little confused about the structure of this passage. According to my understanding:
P1 brief intro about cakewalk, give credit to Walker
P2 some details about cakewalk: ironies
P3 continue P2, parody, some later acquired interpretation (Which is not done by Walker)
P4 Walker's contribution

So the passage is not primarily about Walker's achievement but about Cakewalk.
One more question, how do I know Walker only work on refining Cakewalk interpretation from its original stuff but not adding more interpretation? Aren't there the element from Europe America?

Thank you so much.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

So the passage is not primarily about Walker's achievement but about Cakewalk.

I think I would disagree. This passage is about Walker's achievement and if there's any doubt, just read the correct answer (C) to Q13.

To your second question about whether Walker added to or refined what existed in the cakewalk, check out lines 59-61. When I went looking for information on whether Walker added anything to the cakewalk (which is something I need to know in order to answer Q18), I only found textual evidence that she refined what was there in the line reference above. This might be confusing, because there were many elements added to the cakewalk described over the course of the passage, but they did not come from Walker.

Hope this helps!

[kdeclark]

For RC he said that when you're down to two answer choices, eliminate the one that cannot be proven in the text (rather than trying to prove one answer choice over the other)

Hey mshermn, can you say a bit more about this. I'm having a similar problem on occasion, and don't understand quite what you have in mind here. Why would you be struggling to pick one of two answers if you knew that one couldn't be proven in the text? Isn't the problem that both seem like they might be provable, but you just don't know?

Thanks.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Hey mshermn, can you say a bit more about this. I'm having a similar problem on occasion, and don't understand quite what you have in mind here. Why would you be struggling to pick one of two answers if you knew that one couldn't be proven in the text? Isn't the problem that both seem like they might be provable, but you just don't know?

Thanks.

It wouldn't be the case that you would be struggling to pick one of two answers if you knew that one couldn't be proven in the text. Instead you'd be struggling if you weren't sure whether you could prove/disprove either answer choice remaining. So what I'm asking you to do is that when you're stuck between two answer choices, identify a distinction between the two choices that you can confirm or disconfirm.

If you struggle finding that distinction between the answer choices, find a 2/3 word clause that seems to be the easily verifiable portion of the answer choice. For example, if I suspected but wasn't sure that answer choice (A) was correct, I'd focus on the words "broadened the cakewalk's appeal" to check in the passage. In (lines 45-49) I can confirm answer choice (A). If I was uncertain about other answer choices, I would expect to identify something and verify. For answer choice (B) I'd check to see if there were "larger audiences." Obviously this is a time commitment, so you'll need to minimize the frequency with which you do such searches, but 2-4 per passage is realistic.

Does that answer your question?

[sr]

But there is support for C:

Line 54: "Walker won over this audience by refining the cakewalk"
If she refined the cakewalk she changed the choreography.

Line 64: Many newly rich industrialists found admiration in the grand flourishes of HER version.
That means her version added grand flourishes (which means it has altered choreography).

This shows that she did choreograph alternate versions for different cultural groups.

[littlebibliophile]

But there is support for C:

Line 54: "Walker won over this audience by refining the cakewalk"
If she refined the cakewalk she changed the choreography.

Line 64: Many newly rich industrialists found admiration in the grand flourishes of HER version.
That means her version added grand flourishes (which means it has altered choreography).

This shows that she did choreograph alternate versions for different cultural groups.

This is how I felt too. It says she popularized it with African Ams by "refining the cakewalk and emphasizing its fundamental grace". I took "refine" to mean that she altered it in some way. Her success with European Ams is because of her "distillation of what was acclaimed as the most authentic cakewalk". To me, this seems like another ("most authentic") version. Finally, the newly rich liked the dance because of the "grand flourishes in her version of the cakewalk".

To me, these all seemed to be different versions of the dance for different cultural groups. Because of their use of really passive or nebulous verbs ("distill"/"refine"/etc), I could understand it if we had to say it wasn't clear whether she created different versions or not, but to me it seemed unsupported to say for certain that this was all highlighting elements present in one version of the dance.

[shirando21]

what actually does the author tell us from L62 to L66?

I think it says the her version of cakewalk was tailed and fits into the interests of the social group of newly rich industrialists and financiers.

After reviewing, although I admit A is more correct, as what is in A is more emphasized in the passage.

But C still looks tempting... the biggest reason I could think of not to choose C is various alternative interpretations. Probably her version is only one version, one interpretation not interpretations.

Anyone?

[austindyoung]

Guys... I struggled with this too, and chose (C) and I think I found out, in a somewhat clear way why it is wrong... I think, or at least give us something to rest on, because this is driving me crazy.

Look- lines 45-49 give us the information that she popularized the dance across rigid race boundaries via her interpretations of it.

But- was the dance popular before this? According to the passage, it had gained popularity already. It can be argued (I guess that's the problem though) that (C) is claiming how the dance was popularized in general.

But, since it was already popular, it would be more accurate to say it was broadened rather than popularized. Now technically, we could say its becoming more popular- however, the question says "most strongly suggests."

So- what's more accurate? Looking at the passage as a whole- she was "broadening the appeal" of an already popular movement. (C) may simply be too strong.

But, I concede lines 3-6 that state she popularized the cakewalk through her choreography.

I would really like a Geek to help clear this up.... Or just tell us that (A) is "more right" than (C) because it's a more "tame" answer, or whatever.

[shirando21]

or maybe "alternative" is wrong, as she emphasizes on different point when the audience is a different group, but these versions cannot be called alternative interpretations? just like a pop music star has a world tour, each concert is slightly different in different city, but you cannot call it "alternative", the main part remains the same, most songs, the stage setting, dancing, styling...

[shirando21]

see line 48, "Interpretation", no "s", just her interpretation, not her various versions of interpretations...

[rkj5014]

I'm having the same issue figuring out why C is incorrect, whether its because of the "choreography" portion of the AC or whether its because of the "walker popularized" portion of the answer choice.

If someone could help clear this up that would be greatly appreciated.

[joseph.carroll.555]

see line 48, "Interpretation", no "s", just her interpretation, not her various versions of interpretations...

This. C is wrong because it talks about varying interpretations, when in fact she had only one interpretation that appealed to different social groups for different reasons.

[genieb]

I chose E both times I did this RC. Now looking at the choices I can find the lines that support answer choice A: line 53-54. She "won over this (Middle-class African Americans) audience by refining the cakewalk and emphasizing its *findamental* grace". Ta-da.

As for why C was wrong, I found it tempting too at first but "various alternative interpretations" did put me off. So I ended up choosing E just because Walker's cakewalk contained both African and European elements. But she didn't actually 'disentangle" anything.

[al2568]

Answer A is 53-4.

She won over this audience.....broadening the cakewalks appeal.

Refining the cakewalk and emphasizing its fundamental grace.
Emphasizing = Highlighting
Refining what? Refining the cakewalk. In refining the cakewalk, you refine elements already present.

Answer C....each tailored to the interests of a different cultural group. This says she made a one version for the Middle-Class African Americans, another version for the middle-upper class European Americans, and another version for the industrialists and financiers. But in paragraph 4, the author describes why these groups liked the cakewalk, not distinguished their various interpretations. A Graceful, Authentic, and Grand version of the cakewalk.

[timsportschuetz]

Honestly, this question drove me nuts... I think that I can make legitimate and verifiable cases for both, (A) and (C)! Stating that her "interpretation" of the dance can only mean a single version of the dance sounds like faulty logic to me and is an extremely weak argument! I could make a case by saying: "Her interpretation of the dance was the reason for her success". I could validly respond to this statement by saying: "Her interpretation of the dance included various differing modifications that slightly changed some of the characteristics of the cakewalk."

I am completely unconvinced that (C) has less merit than (A)! Even after reading all of the above comments multiple times, I believe this particular question is flawed since it presents two answer choices that can be proven correct.

[tommywallach]

Hey Guys,

I'll weigh in here. I don't see the support for "various alternative interpretations". In fact, it's DIRECTLY contradicted by line 48, which describes "her interpretation of it". There is only ONE interpretation made by Walker, so (C) is totally wrong! What you seem to be missing is that her ONE version of the cakewalk was a version that appealed to lots of people--but there weren't multiple versions.

-t

[Alvanith]

For more support for (A), I just would like to point out two words:

Line 54: "fundamental"

Line 60: "Distillation"

These two words strongly tip off that Walker highlighted the elements that were "already present" in cakewalk.