Q14 - Professor: The most important function

[smiller]

Question Type:
Inference

Stimulus Breakdown:
The stimulus contains a chain of statements we can link:
epic poetry's most important function → transmit values → present heroes as role models

We're also told that imitating the role models gives people meaning and direction in their lives. Is this related to the transmission of values mentioned in the first sentence? It could be. However, we don't know for sure. You could also read the final sentence as a separate, independent statement.

Answer Anticipation:
A correct answer might be based on the chain of conditional logic in the stimulus, while incorrect answers might involve invalid reversals or negations. If an answer involves a statement that isn't part of this chain, we'll have to compare it to the relevant part of the stimulus.

We also have to remember that this question is asking for an answer that must be true. The correct answer must be completely provable based on the professor's statements.

Correct Answer:
(B)

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) This makes an invalid generalization. The stimulus is about epic poetry, while this answer choice is simply about poetry. We don't know if the stimulus describes an important function of poetry overall.

Also, as we pointed out above, the connection between "meaning and direction" and the transmission of values is somewhat vague. We're not even certain that giving meaning and direction is an important function of epic poetry.

(B) This is correct. The stimulus directly links the most important function of epic poetry—transmitting values—to the embodiment of those values in heroic figures.

(C) This makes an invalid generalization. The stimulus is about epic poetry, not all poetry.

(D) This makes an invalid generalization. We know that epic poetry transmits values "by which a group of people is to live." We know it accomplishes this by embodying those values in heroic figures. However, we can't definitely conclude that epic poetry performs this function for "many groups of people," as choice (D) indicates.

(E) This is reversed logic. We know that epic poetry does what is described in this answer choice, but we don't know that epic poetry is the only type of poetry, or the only medium, that does. Non-epic poetry, paintings, and game shows could all do the same thing.

Takeaway/Pattern: When an inference question requires you to choose the answer that "must be true," watch out for answers containing statements that are subtly, but still significantly, different from the facts in the stimulus.

#officialexplanation

[wavyxue]

Hi!

Can anyone help explain the differences between B and D? I can narrow it down to these two choices but not sure why B is a better one.

Is D incorrect because of the "many groups of people"?

Thanks!

[maryadkins]

Bingo! "Many groups of people" isn't talked about at all, and since it's an inference question, we are looking for an answer choice that is entirely supported by the statements. (B) is supported explicitly by the first two sentences.

(A) may be tempting for some...but are we ever TOLD this is an important function? Nope.

In (C), "poetry" is immediately a red flag for me because that's too general. And in (E), "only" is the same way. We aren't told about other kinds of poetry so we certainly can't conclude this to be true.

[zdlsat]

I still have some question regarding "a grp of ppl" vs "many grps of ppl"

So, the reason why D is wrong is that,
"a grp of ppl" here means a certain grp of ppl, D says many grps of ppl. Since we don't know if this statement could apply to rest of the ppl except that certain grp of ppl., D is wrong.

However, I have some difficulty understanding the term "a", probably I'm not native.
I think "a" means a general scenario, and the statement can apply to any/all group of ppl.
Answer D would be right.

As in PerpTest 67 Section 4 Question 17 Answer E states, "...price charged for a good for which a retail store offers a coupon will be higher than the price charged for that same good..."
"a good" here means a general situation, it means every good in coupon-offer store will be a lower price. Otherwise, answer would be a correct choice.

So, how to understand "a grp of ppl" vs " many grps of ppl" here?

Thx

[maryadkins]

Good question.

"A group of people" can be used in a general sense to mean any given group of people. Your translation of that is correct. This still does not translate to "many groups of people" finding role models in heroic figures. Maybe many groups of people don't even read the poetry, regardless of its purpose! Maybe it's only ever been effective on one group of people! Who knows?

So I agree with everything up until that part of your post.

[contropositive]

(A) may be tempting for some...but are we ever TOLD this is an important function? Nope.

I have to disagree with your explanation for A. The stimulus does tell us giving meaning and direction is an important function. The first sentence reads, "the most important function" that is fairly translated to "important function" as A suggests.
I think the problem with A is "read it" the last sentence is talking about people who hear the poems. For some reason that sentence popped out to me because I knew their going to bring in something about people reading the poem, which is why I eliminated A. The group of people the professor is talking about is very vague we don't know which group...it could be a group that doesn't know how to read so the only way is for them to hear the poems.

[dhlim3]

(A) may be tempting for some...but are we ever TOLD this is an important function? Nope.

I have to disagree with your explanation for A. The stimulus does tell us giving meaning and direction is an important function. The first sentence reads, "the most important function" that is fairly translated to "important function" as A suggests.
I think the problem with A is "read it" the last sentence is talking about people who hear the poems. For some reason that sentence popped out to me because I knew their going to bring in something about people reading the poem, which is why I eliminated A. The group of people the professor is talking about is very vague we don't know which group...it could be a group that doesn't know how to read so the only way is for them to hear the poems.

The stimulus's topic is limited to Epic Poetry. A is too broad because it's about poetry in general.

[ellylb]

I still have some question regarding "a grp of ppl" vs "many grps of ppl"

So, the reason why D is wrong is that,
"a grp of ppl" here means a certain grp of ppl, D says many grps of ppl. Since we don't know if this statement could apply to rest of the ppl except that certain grp of ppl., D is wrong.

However, I have some difficulty understanding the term "a", probably I'm not native.
I think "a" means a general scenario, and the statement can apply to any/all group of ppl.
Answer D would be right.

As in PerpTest 67 Section 4 Question 17 Answer E states, "...price charged for a good for which a retail store offers a coupon will be higher than the price charged for that same good..."
"a good" here means a general situation, it means every good in coupon-offer store will be a lower price. Otherwise, answer would be a correct choice.

So, how to understand "a grp of ppl" vs " many grps of ppl" here?

Thx

I was torn between B and D but my reason for ruling out D was actually because the stimulus says that IMITATING these figures gives people value in their lives, whereas the answer choice says the figures themselves give people value. Trap answer for careless readers!