- Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:00 am
#22894
Complete Question Explanation
Strengthen-CE. The correct answer choice is (A)
The conclusion to this stimulus is the assertion that medieval Arab poets were, unlike the Arab philosophers at the time, not very interested in Homer, who is commonly referenced in Aristotle's Poetics. This conclusion is based on the fact that unlike many Greek texts, Homer was not translated into Arabic at the time. So, the authors causal argument is as follows: Lack of interest in Homer → No ancient Arabic translations of Homer
The stimulus is followed by a strengthen question. In order to strengthen this argument, we might look for the answer choice which eliminates other possible causes, or for the answer which in some other way bolsters the claim that apathy led to the lack of any translated version.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, since it rules out another possible cause. If the ancient Arabs hadn't had access to Homer, that would provide a different explanation for the lack of any translation. This answer choice provides that they did have access, increasing the likelihood that the lack of Homer in translated form was based on apathy.
Answer choice (B): Any similarity between Arab works and those of Homer is irrelevant to the question of whether there was ancient Arab interest in Homer's works specifically, so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (C): Like answer choice (B) above, this choice is completely irrelevant to the question of what caused the lack of medieval Arabic Homeric translations.
Answer choice (D): Any interest by modern Arab poets has no effect on the discussion from the stimulus, which involves only medieval Arabs and the works that they translated.
Answer choice (E): An overlapping interest in drama does not strengthen or weaken the causal argument in the stimulus, and the presence of dramatic works and performances among medieval Arabs tells us nothing regarding the medieval Arabs' feelings about Homer.
Strengthen-CE. The correct answer choice is (A)
The conclusion to this stimulus is the assertion that medieval Arab poets were, unlike the Arab philosophers at the time, not very interested in Homer, who is commonly referenced in Aristotle's Poetics. This conclusion is based on the fact that unlike many Greek texts, Homer was not translated into Arabic at the time. So, the authors causal argument is as follows: Lack of interest in Homer → No ancient Arabic translations of Homer
The stimulus is followed by a strengthen question. In order to strengthen this argument, we might look for the answer choice which eliminates other possible causes, or for the answer which in some other way bolsters the claim that apathy led to the lack of any translated version.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, since it rules out another possible cause. If the ancient Arabs hadn't had access to Homer, that would provide a different explanation for the lack of any translation. This answer choice provides that they did have access, increasing the likelihood that the lack of Homer in translated form was based on apathy.
Answer choice (B): Any similarity between Arab works and those of Homer is irrelevant to the question of whether there was ancient Arab interest in Homer's works specifically, so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (C): Like answer choice (B) above, this choice is completely irrelevant to the question of what caused the lack of medieval Arabic Homeric translations.
Answer choice (D): Any interest by modern Arab poets has no effect on the discussion from the stimulus, which involves only medieval Arabs and the works that they translated.
Answer choice (E): An overlapping interest in drama does not strengthen or weaken the causal argument in the stimulus, and the presence of dramatic works and performances among medieval Arabs tells us nothing regarding the medieval Arabs' feelings about Homer.
