Q10

[norginz]

Hi,

What's wrong with answer B in this question? Lines 44-47 seem to support it. Thanks.

[storm_cyclones_]

Answer Choice B: "...amended some of the conclusions contained in his earlier book." But this probably can't be true because his earlier book was about African goodies, and African goodies specifically. On the other hand, we see in line 54 that his latest work (the one unfinished at his death) aimed at "exploring the influence of African art on the Western world generally". This is why B is too narrow in scope to support this more comprehensive and wider undertaking of his. D is the ideal choice because it clearly sums up what the work aimed at doing -- "broadening the scope of inquiry of his earlier book" (which, to repeat, was based specifically on African/African-American matters only).

[giladedelman]

Good explanation!

So, to add to the discussion of answer (B), the problem is that the passage does not indicate that the unfinished book was going to make changes to the earlier writings on African artistic influences. We know that Porter was constantly revising and updating his stuff, and we know he had this unfinished project, but there is no indication that the two things were related.

(A) is incorrect for basically the same reason. There is no indication that the unfinished study would have contradicted, amended, etc., the earlier book.

(C) is out because, again, we don't know that the unfinished project would have any connection to the earlier study.

(E) is incorrect because these "theories" are totally out of scope.

[uhdang]

D is the ideal choice because it clearly sums up what the work aimed at doing -- "broadening the scope of inquiry of his earlier book" (which, to repeat, was based specifically on African/African-American matters only).

Are we to assume that "broadening the scope of inquiry" is a general work from James Porter's part? Because I know from the passage that he is the first one to make a connection between African-American art and African influence, thus "broadening the scope", but there doesn't seem to be any specific action of such he did for those "unfinished projects" for which he left notes.

I can see this answer choice has a connection with the last paragraph and "study that Porter left unfinished" because they both refer to unfinished project, but this "broadening the scope" is unclear to me. Help please.

[rinagoldfield]

Hi Uhdang,

“Broadening the scope” here refers to breadth of work that Porter examined. In his earlier studies, Porter investigated the influence of African art in the Americas (lines 1-3, 34-38), but in his later studies he examined its influence in the Western world generally.

Hope that helps.
-Rina

[uhdang]

I completely missed the part of Western World generally.
Thanks for the help. Crystal clear now