Reading Passage Question
Political theories have, in fact, very little more to do with musical creation than electronics theories have. Both merely determine methods of distribution. The exploitation of these methods is subject to political regulation and is quite rigidly regulated in many countries. The revolutionary parties, both in Russia and elsewhere, have tried to turn composers on to supposedly revolutionary subject-matter. The net result for either art or revolution has not been very important. Neither has official fascist music accomplished much either for music or for Italy or Germany.
Political party influence on music is just censorship anyway. Performances can be forbidden and composers disciplined for what they write, but the creative stimulus comes from elsewhere. Nothing really “inspires” an author but money or food or love.
That persons or parties subventioning musical uses should wish to retain veto power over the works used is not at all surprising. That our political masters (or our representatives) should exercise a certain negative authority, a censorship, over the exploitation of works whose content they consider dangerous to public welfare is also in no way novel or surprising. But that such political executives should think to turn the musical profession into a college of political theorists or a bunch of hired propagandists is naïve of them. Our musical civilization is older than any political party. We can deal on terms of intellectual equality with acoustical engineers, with architects, with poets, painters, and historians, even with the Roman clergy if necessary. We cannot be expected to take very seriously the inspirational dictates of persons or of groups who think they can pay us to get emotional about ideas. They can pay us to get emotional all right. Anybody can. Nothing is so emotion-producing as money. But emotions are factual; they are not generated by ideas. On the contrary, ideas are generated by emotions; and emotions, in turn, are visceral states produced directly by facts like money and food and sexual intercourse. To have any inspirational quality there must be present facts or immediate anticipations, not pie-in-the-sky.
Now pie-in-the-sky has its virtues as a political ideal, I presume. Certainly most men want to work for an eventual common good. I simply want to make it quite clear that ideals about the common good (not to speak of mere political necessity) are not very stimulating subjectmatter for music. They don’t produce visceral movements the way facts do. It is notorious that musical descriptions of hell, which is something we can all imagine, are more varied and vigorous than the placid banalities that even the best composers have used to describe heaven; and that all composers do better on really present matters than on either: matters like love and hatred and hunting and war and dancing around and around.
The moral of all this is that the vetoing of objective subject-matter is as far as political stimulation or censorship can go in advance. Style is personal and emotional, not political at all. And form or design, which is impersonal, is not subject to any political differences of opinion.
“Political theories have, in fact, very little more to do with musical creation- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.
This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 6 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.
Solution and Explanation
Question 1
The author is making a statement defending
- intellectual freedom
- the apolitical stance of most musicians
- emotional honesty
(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) I and II only
(D) I and III only
(E) I, II, and III
Answer: D
Explanation: In the 3rd paragraph the author mentions. It is not surprising that a person or parties subversioning musical uses should wish to retain veto power over the works used. Then later on in the same paragraph, he says. “They can pay us to get emotional all right. Anybody can. Nothing is so emotion-producing as money. But emotions are factual; they are not generated by ideas. On the contrary, ideas are generated by emotions; and emotions, in turn, are visceral states produced directly by facts. Like money and food and sexual intercourse.”
Question 2
The tone of the author in the passage is
(A) exacting
(B) pessimistic
(C) critical
(D) optimistic
(E) fatalistic
Answer: C
Explanation: As mentioned, “political party influence on music is just censorship anyway. Performances can be forbidden and composers disciplined for what they write. But the creative stimulus comes from elsewhere. Nothing really “inspires” an author but money or food or love.” The author is critical of attempts to censor the arts, especially music.
Question 3
The author’s reaction to political influence on music is one of
(A) surprise
(B) disbelief
(C) resignation
(D) deference
(E) rancor
Answer: C
Explanation: According to the author, political leaders should exert some form of negative authority. A restriction on the use of works whose content they deem harmful to the general good. However, it is surprising that such political leaders would consider turning the musical industry into a school for political theorists. He argues that our musical culture predates all political ideologies. We can treat acoustical engineers, architects, poets, painters, and historians on an intellectual equal level. We cannot be expected to take the directives of those who believe they can pay us to get emotionally invested in ideas very seriously.
Question 4
According to the author, political attempts to control the subject matter of music
(A) will be resisted by artists wherever they are made
(B) may succeed in censoring but not in inspiring musical works
(C) will succeed only if the eventual goal is the common good
(D) are less effective than the indirect use of social and economic pressure
(E) have profoundly influenced the course of modern musical history
Answer: B
Explanation: The author claims that political party influence on music is nothing more than censorship. Composers may be penalised for their works and have performances prohibited. However, the inspiration originates from somewhere else. He claims that only money, food, and love can motivate authors. He also says that emotions are the source of ideas. Additionally, facts like money, food, and sexual activity directly cause visceral states like emotions. There must be current information or near future expectations for something to be motivating.
Question 5
The author refers to “musical descriptions of hell” (Highlighted) to make the point that
(A) musical inspiration depends on the degree to which the composer’s imagination is stimulated by his subject
(B) composers are better at evoking negative emotions and ideas than positive ones
(C) music is basically unsuited to a role in support of political tyranny
(D) religious doctrines have inspired numerous musical compositions
(E) political ideals are a basic motivating force for most contemporary composers
Answer: A
Explanation: The author highlights the benefits of "pie-in-the-sky" as a political ideal. He claims that the majority of men wish to strive toward a future common good. He only wants to make it very evident that music is not particularly inspired by aspirations of the common good. The phrase "musical descriptions of hell" is used by him. Which is something that all musicians may conjure up as being more diverse and vivacious than the serene banalities. Additionally, all composers do better on contemporary issues than on either. Things like love and hate, hunting and war, and merry-go-round dance.
Question 6
The author implies that political doctrines usually fail to generate artistic creativity because they are too
(A) naïve
(B) abstract
(C) rigidly controlled
(D) concrete
(E) ambiguous
Answer: B
Explanation: The author points out that music is not particularly inspired by ideas about the common good. They don't inspire emotional reactions as facts do. Composers may be penalised for their works and have performances prohibited. However, the inspiration originates from somewhere else. The only things that truly "inspire" writers are money, food, and love. In the 3rd paragraph last line he says. “To have any inspirational quality there must be present facts or immediate anticipations, not pie-in-the-sky.”
Suggested GMAT Reading Comprehension Samples
- Flexible personal body armor made from interlocking iron GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Reducing atmospheric CO2 by a deliberate carbon dioxide removal GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Common sense suggests that we know our own thoughts directly GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Many objects in daily use have clearly been influenced by science GMAT Reading Comprehension
- The social sciences are less likely than other intellectual enterprises to get credit for their accomplishments. GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Until the 1970s it was assumed that, despite the very large number of species that appeared GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Viruses, infectious particles consisting of nucleic acid packaged in a protein coat GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Few areas of neuron behavioral research seemed more promising GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Methods for typing blood were developed around the turn of the century GMAT Reading Comprehension
- What causes a helix in nature to appear with either a dextral GMAT Reading Comprehension
- During The Final Decades Of The Nineteenth Century GMAT Reading Comprehension
- In Eighteenth-Century France and England, Reformers Rallied Around GMAT Reading Comprehension
- My Objective Is To Analyze Certain Forms Of Knowledge GMAT Reading Comprehension
- There Is A Dangerous Tendency In Superficial Analyses GMAT Reading Comprehension
- An Interesting Approach to Reducing the United States’ Trade Deficit GMAT
- In Alaska, Tradition is a Powerful Legal Concept, Appearing in a Wide Variety of Legal Contexts GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Political Ideals Must be Based Upon Ideals for the Individual Life GMAT Reading Comprehension
- Almost 12 Million Immigrants Were Processed Through The Immigration GMAT Reading Comprehension
- The Historical Basis For The King Arthur Legend Has Long Been Debated GMAT Reading Comprehension
- When Jayne Hinds Bidaut Saw Her First Tintype, She Was So Struck By It GMAT Reading Comprehension
Comments