The Decline of Perfumery

Answer choices

1. A

   Opposite0% picked this

   Despite their pursuit of profit, corporations that produce and market perfumes

   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%
2. B

   Wrong Emphasis6% picked this

   A masterpiece perfume evokes reactions that are no less powerful than those evoked by a masterpiece

   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%
3. C

   Too Strong8% picked this

   The corporate nature of the perfume business is the reason that so few truly great

   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.

   8%
4. D

   Correct64% picked this

   Great perfumes are works of art and deserve respect and attention

   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.

   64%
5. E

   Wrong Emphasis22% picked this

   Perfume-making and oil painting should be regarded as sister arts, both of which involve the skilled application of

   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%