Lorenzo Tucker

Answer choices

1. A

   Unsupported: conflicts with previous15% picked this

   It assesses well-known African American films in ways that have little in common with the assessments of

   This study says it will be examining an area of U.S. entertainment history that has been underexamined (insufficient scholarship). It's not setting out to go against the grain of how critics have previously viewed well-known films. It's setting out to inform about not-well-known films.

   15%
2. B

   Unsupported: participated with Tucker5% picked this

   It was written by a person who participated with Tucker in at least some of the theatrical

   We have no evidence that the biographer ever appeared in any theatrical ventures with Tucker (or anyone else).

   5%
3. C

   Unsupported: expects to be obscure24% picked this

   It was written by a person who does not expect to be recognized as a mainstream participant in scholarship concerning

   This author is writing about an under-examined topic, something that has been outside mainstream scholarship concerning U.S. film and theater history. But we have no way to support the idea that the author expects to be regarded as a non-mainstream participant. We would assume this author takes herself and her scholarship seriously and expects to be recognized as a professional biographer, like other mainstream historians.

   24%
4. D

   Correct31% picked this

   Its analysis of Tucker's acting technique is not based on a close examination of a preponderance of the

   Why this is right

   This is the sort of correct answer on Inference questions that is just testing technicalities of language. It's not an important idea; it's just a provable idea. In the middle of the 2nd paragraph, in the sentence beginning with "Also examined --", we're told that the primary source material for analyzing Tucker's acting technique were the ten still available films in which he appeared. Are ten films a preponderance of the films in which Tucker performed? First of all, what the F does preponderance mean? It basically means "a majority" in this case. Criminal courts use a standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt" to convict. Civil courts use a standard of "a preponderance of the evidence" to convict. It means that the prosecution has convinced the court that the defendant is more likely than not guilty (more than 50% chance). So ... how many films did Tucker perform in? In the first paragraph, we were told "he acted (i.e. performed) in 20". Is 10 most of 20? No, 11 or higher would be most of 20. So if this primary evidence for analysis of Tucker's acting were 10 out his 20 films, then the analysis is not based on a preponderance of his 20 films. Do you hate this test / your life yet?

   Skill tested: Inference · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

   31%
5. E

   Out of Scope26% picked this

   Its rhetorical structure is not closely analogous to the structures of a majority of previous scholarly biographies

   Out of Scope: rhetorical structure Too Specific: majority We wouldn't be able to say anything, from this passage, about what's true of 51% or more of previously scholarly biographies of African American performers. I guess we could say a majority of them didn't focus on Lorenzo Tucker. :) The author is saying her focus is an area of insufficient scholarship, but she's not saying her rhetorical structure is different from those of most previous African American biographies.

   26%