Reading Comprehension

PT142 · S3 · P1 · Q1 The Decline of Perfumery

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Given the amount of time and effort that curators, collectors, dealers, scholars, and critics spend on formulating judgments of taste in relation to oil paintings, it seems odd that so few are prepared to apply some of the same skills in exploring works of art that stimulate another sense altogether: that of smell.

Topic

Why great perfume isn’t considered a serious art form—despite strong similarities to painting and music.

Framework

Challenge Position (The author challenges the position that perfume is not taken seriously as art.)

Main Point

Even though perfume, like painting and music, is a sophisticated art that stimulates our senses and emotions, it isn’t taken as seriously as visual or musical arts, partly due to commercialization and neglect by art professionals. *Most Valuable Sentence*: "Why is great perfume not taken more seriously?" (end of P1 and developed throughout passage) and (P3).

P1: Surprise at Perfume’s Neglect by Art Professionals

Despite how much time experts spend evaluating visual arts, almost nobody in the art world approaches perfume with the same seriousness, even though some perfumes are true masterpieces.

P2: Comparing Painting and Perfumery Techniques

The passage draws parallels between painting and perfume-making, describing how both involve crafting complex creations from natural and synthetic materials, with both changing over time.

P3: Perfume as a Sophisticated, Emotional Art

Just as painters create moods and stories with color, skilled perfumers (“noses”) use scents to evoke deep emotional memories and experiences—making perfume as intimate and powerful as painting or music.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

Despite their pursuit of profit,
Opposite
The author is never saying in the final paragraph that these corporations still value artistic skill. To the contrary, he's blaming these corporations for de-valuing the artistic vision embodied in these perfumes in favor of using cheaper ingredients. He refers to their quality control as a "not particularly watchful gaze" and says they insist "on the substitution of cheap chemical compounds that approximately resemble rarer, better ingredients."
0% picked this
A masterpiece perfume evokes reactions
Wrong Emphasis
This does center itself properly on perfume and does make a strong case for its artistic craftsmanship. But this sentence is a direct comparison between master perfumes and master works of music and painting. Does the author directly compare masterpieces? Was the author trying throughout the passage to support the idea that a masterful perfume evokes reactions at least as powerful as those evoked by amazing music or painting? No, music is barely even mentioned in this passage, other than an aside in paragraph 1 about the fact that art professionals take music, literature, and architecture seriously, and then a mention in paragraph 3 about a brilliant perfumer devising an imaginary world as powerful as that of a great composer. Overall this answer is something the author would probably say (although didn't say) and something that's pretty adjacent to the main point. But when you think through the prism of Purpose, why did the author sit down to write about perfume? If there was only one thing the author could tell you about perfume, it would be that "a masterpiece is as powerful as a masterpiece in music or painting"? It would be more like, "Perfume is greatly under-appreciated as an art form", and this answer choice is a supporting premise. Why should we believe perfume is under-appreciated? Because, art professionals study painting and music very seriously yet don't study perfume seriously, and a masterpiece in perfume is no less powerful than a masterpiece in music or painting.
6% picked this
The corporate nature of the
Too Strong
Too Strong: is the reason Wrong Objection: made vs. appreciated This is very tempting if we primarily saw this passage trying to Answer a Puzzling Question. The first paragraph does ask, "Why is great perfume not taken more seriously", and the final paragraph does answer, "Perhaps one reason is the corporate nature of the perfume business". But saying, perhaps ... one reason for Y is X is not strong enough to justify what this answer says, which is "the corporate nature is the reason". Also, the corporate nature of the perfume business is a reason that perfume is under-appreciated as an art form, not the reason that so few great perfumes are now produced.
7% picked this
Correct
Great perfumes are works of
Why this is right
This speaks to the first three paragraphs and pretty much leaves out the final one. At the time of this test's release, this correct answer seemed pretty surprising in that regard. It's since become more commonplace for correct answers on Main Point to feel a little sparse or shallow. As long as they have the main thing, they don't need to have everything. The author was trying to give perfume its Highlight Noteworthy day in the spotlight. The reason the author chose to write about perfume was because of his exasperation that it's not taken more seriously by art professionals and art lovers.
Skill tested: Main Point · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.
65% picked this
Perfume-making and oil painting should
Wrong Emphasis
Like choice (B), this answer offers something the author would agree with, and something that relates to his main point. However, like (B), it's a premise that supports his main point. His main focus in this passage is perfume. It's not evenly divided between perfume and oil painting, so the fact that this answer choice's main clause puts them at equal billing is a bad sign. His main point is that "perfume is underappreciated as an art form", and he would defend that position in part by saying something like this answer choice .. "After all, perfume-making and oil painting are basically sister arts!"
22% picked this

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