Questions must be answered on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage itself, and not on the basis of what you may know independently about the subject matter.
Reading Comprehension Passage 39 MCQ Test
Question 1 |
(Please note: The following questions are related to a specific reading passage, which is available solely before the first question. Remember, it may be helpful to refer back to the reading text while answering the questions to ensure accuracy.)
THE STATE AND THE ARTS
As much as I dislike having to say so, I personally would eliminate all federal funding of the arts. For, despite its benevolent intentions, the government does not know how to play the role of patron. Let's face it: bureaucrats cannot help but commission mediocre work, and their staying away from the world of the arts undoubtedly would improve matters, making possible something of a renaissance in music, painting, poetry and the other arts. That at least is my hope.
It is necessary to distinguish between patronage and encouragement in this context: The government should encourage artistic expression by all means -- and by "encourage," I mean, provide subsidies to libraries, reduce the postal rates, change the tax laws, be generous with the funding of art schools. These are the kinds of things that we may reasonably expect of a government to manage properly. This kind of involvement on the part of the state takes its roots from the traditional American notion that the enlargement of learning and expansion of knowledge are beneficial to the nation. The more books the citizens read, the better for the country; the more discussion in the marketplace, the better for the republic. I believe in that; I believe that government can help. It is when the government gets involved in the business of patronage that I am not very impressed. The United States Government traditionally has been in the business of patronizing architecture, and all one has to do is to go to Washington and look around to understand the usual level of mediocrity.
Lewis LAPHAM, "Eliminate Federal Funding to the Arts".
The writer is against federal funding of the arts because
A | it does not have any benevolent intentions. |
B | the bureaucrats never know how to select the best. |
C | the bureaucrats never know how to select the best. |
D | he dislikes having to say so. |
E | he would eliminate all federal funding. |
Question 2 |
What the government cannot do is to
A | support the arts in general terms. |
B | reduce the postal rates and change the tax laws. |
C | distinguish between encouragement and dictating. |
D | provide a lot of money for art schools. |
E | encourage artistic expression. |
Question 3 |
The traditional American notion is that
A | the government should not get involved in educational matters. |
B | the people would rather read books than get involved in market place discussions. |
C | the expansion of knowledge is good for the prices in the market. |
D | it is a good thing that the people should be better educated. |
E | it does not make much difference whether the people are better educated or not. |
Question 4 |
The writer thinks that,
A | there are beautiful buildings all over Washington. |
B | the government should not provide financial support for the arts. |
C | the government should not see itself in a position to pick and choose when it comes to matters of artistic expression. |
D | architecture has been paid no attention to by the government. |
E | a government should aim at mediocrity. |
Question 5 |
Mark out the appropriate statement: The author
A | is all for the continuation of the federal funding of the arts. |
B | thinks that patronage and encouragement are one and the same. |
C | would eliminate all bureaucracy out of his intense dislike for the bureaucrats. |
D | supports the idea that the government should only patronize architecture. |
E | believes that the government can be of some help in supporting the arts. |
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