Directions: Answer the questions based on the following passage. Ludwig Wittgenstein asserted that with the publication of his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus he had solved all philosophical problems and retired to teach mathematics at the secondary level. He believed he had achieved this through his exploration of the logic of language, which he referred to as his “picture theory” of language. Wittgenstein’s contention was that the world consisted of a collection of interconnected “facts” that created “pictures” of the world through propositions. These propositions are meaningful if they picture matters of empirical fact, such as “Meri is six feet tall.” In order for these linguistic pictures to accurately represent facts, they must have the same logical structure as matters of empirical fact. The problem is that philosophical propositions, such as “truth is beauty,” are not matters of empirical fact. Since language itself is based on this relationship, philosophers cannot extricate themselves from the realm of language in order to actually say anything about whether or not the “pictures” have the same logical structure as the facts. One important consequence of this argument is that it is nonsensical to discuss philosophical problems. The propositions that philosophers commonly make are not technically wrong but nonsensical. For Wittgenstein, the ultimate goal of philosophy itself is not the actual study or pursuit of “truth.” Philosophy has more to do with clarifying the relationship between language and truth than truth itself. The Tractatus ends up subverting its own claims by concluding that the kind of propositions of which it is composed are senseless. The most commonly quoted excerpt from the book is the proposition “What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence.” Q. The author believes Wittgenstein would likely agree with which of the following statements?

Something cannot be both truthful and beautiful.

The proposition “truth is beauty” is nonsensical.

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question. While days of the chain gang are long gone, the effects of meaningful labor during imprisonment demonstrate marked benefits to both the prisoner and society. Some of these benefits take the forms of reduced recidivism, increased job skills and employability, and improved quality of life. In fact, corporations have hired jails to have their inmates perform work from manufacturing to telemarketing. However, some critics argue that prisoners who work are little more than bonded slaves, earning nothing for their labor and forced to do work that may be beyond their physical or mental capacity. Others are more concerned about the economic factors of cheap, noncompetitive labor or issues involved in giving inmates responsibility for critical components of products or providing them with lists of addresses and telephone numbers. Q. The author would most likely agree with which of the following sentences?

Working may offset deleterious psychological conditions to which prisoners are exposed.

Too many lawsuits filed against jails involve prisoners being forced to perform work they are not physically equipped to handle.

Telemarketing corporations are the main entities that stand to profit from inmates working for free or at low cost.

People in jail lack the mental skill needed to perform more challenging work.

Adjusting the current model of inmate labor to have prisoners work for money or reduced sentences would improve the penal system.

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question. The Terracotta Army, 8,000 terracotta warrior figures guarding the tomb of the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shui Huang (259–210 ), was discovered in Xi’an in northwest China in 1974. The finding was remarkable not only for the sheer number of figures but for the intricate details of each sculpture. While it was a well-developed art form in ancient Greece, sculpture seems to have played only a minor role in ancient Asian art until the ascension of Qin Shui Huang. The variety of ear shapes, hairstyles, and armor among the figures has archaeologists pondering the possibility that the Terracotta Army may be representations of actual individual warriors. Such a level of detail is far beyond that of any known earlier Chinese sculptures. Experts are searching for an explanation for this seemingly sudden appearance of sophisticated sculpture in ancient China. Recent DNA analysis of human remains found in westernmost China from the period of Qin Shui Huang yielded the surprising presence of European DNA, leading anthropologists to believe that Western contact with China may significantly predate the Silk Road, usually considered the inception of the relationship between these two civilizations. What is even more remarkable, however, is one of the responses to this discovery. Professor Lukas Nickel, an art historian from the University of Vienna, speculates that the presence of the DNA indicates that a Greek sculptor may have been employed at the site of the Terracotta Army to train the locals. Nickel also cites ancient Chinese records that reveal tales of giant statues appearing in the far West, as well as narratives stating that the emperor ordered the casting of copies in bronze that were erected in front of his palace. This account supports the notion of early contact between China and the West, which Nickel says could have inspired the First Emperor not only to duplicate the giant statues but also to build the huge Terracotta Army along with other life-size sculptures. Li Xiuzhen, a Chinese archaeologist specializing in the Terracotta Army, responds that the sculptures “may be inspired by Western culture, but were uniquely made by the Chinese.” Nickel’s leap from the presence of European DNA in one part of China to his conclusion strains credulity. It is, at best, an interesting hypothesis demanding further evidence and, at worst, a pernicious example of Western cultural elitism wherein artistic developments that parallel or exceed those of Western culture are considered impossible without the impetus of Western influence. Q. The primary purpose of the passage is to

compare the development of sculpture as an art form in the ancient Greek and Chinese cultures

challenge an interpretation of new physical evidence of the presence of Western DNA in China

criticize the authenticity of recent evidence used to address the question of how the Greek and Chinese sculptural arts came to share many characteristics

discuss the contribution of Greek artisans to the design and construction of the Terracotta Army

present evidence that suggests an explanation for the sudden appearance of advanced sculpture techniques in China

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question. The Terracotta Army, 8,000 terracotta warrior figures guarding the tomb of the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shui Huang (259–210 ), was discovered in Xi’an in northwest China in 1974. The finding was remarkable not only for the sheer number of figures but for the intricate details of each sculpture. While it was a well-developed art form in ancient Greece, sculpture seems to have played only a minor role in ancient Asian art until the ascension of Qin Shui Huang. The variety of ear shapes, hairstyles, and armor among the figures has archaeologists pondering the possibility that the Terracotta Army may be representations of actual individual warriors. Such a level of detail is far beyond that of any known earlier Chinese sculptures. Experts are searching for an explanation for this seemingly sudden appearance of sophisticated sculpture in ancient China. Recent DNA analysis of human remains found in westernmost China from the period of Qin Shui Huang yielded the surprising presence of European DNA, leading anthropologists to believe that Western contact with China may significantly predate the Silk Road, usually considered the inception of the relationship between these two civilizations. What is even more remarkable, however, is one of the responses to this discovery. Professor Lukas Nickel, an art historian from the University of Vienna, speculates that the presence of the DNA indicates that a Greek sculptor may have been employed at the site of the Terracotta Army to train the locals. Nickel also cites ancient Chinese records that reveal tales of giant statues appearing in the far West, as well as narratives stating that the emperor ordered the casting of copies in bronze that were erected in front of his palace. This account supports the notion of early contact between China and the West, which Nickel says could have inspired the First Emperor not only to duplicate the giant statues but also to build the huge Terracotta Army along with other life-size sculptures. Li Xiuzhen, a Chinese archaeologist specializing in the Terracotta Army, responds that the sculptures “may be inspired by Western culture, but were uniquely made by the Chinese.” Nickel’s leap from the presence of European DNA in one part of China to his conclusion strains credulity. It is, at best, an interesting hypothesis demanding further evidence and, at worst, a pernicious example of Western cultural elitism wherein artistic developments that parallel or exceed those of Western culture are considered impossible without the impetus of Western influence. Q. The passage implies which of the following about the sculptures of the Terracotta Army?

They did not include anatomical features specific to individual subjects.

Their detailed features enable art historians and archaeologists to definitively identify individual warriors.

They were a further development of the earlier traditions of Chinese sculpture.

They were due to the training provided by Greek sculptors.

They may have some similarities in style to some contemporary Greek sculptures.