SAT question 09f9edb0 (Command Of Evidence)

Question

In the 1980s, many musicians and journalists in the English-speaking world began to draw attention to music from around the globe—such as mbaqanga from South Africa and quan họ from Vietnam—that can’t be easily categorized according to British or North American popular music genres, typically referring to such music as “world music.” While some scholars have welcomed this development for bringing diverse musical forms to prominence in countries where they’d previously been overlooked, musicologist Su Zheng claims that the concept of world music homogenizes highly distinct traditions by reducing them all to a single category. Which finding about mbaqanga and quan họ, if true, would most directly support Zheng’s claim?

College Board · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A. Choice A is the best answer. Zheng’s claim is that the idea of world music “homogenizes” (meaning makes similar) distinct kinds of music by reducing them to one category. In other words, Zheng thinks the concept of world music is a harmful oversimplification of diverse musical forms. To support this claim, we need evidence that these musical traditions are so different from one another that they should not fall into the same category. If it’s true that mbaqanga and quan họ developed separately and have little in common musically, then it wouldn’t make sense to lump them into the same category.

Explanation

Why the other choices are wrong

SAT Question 09f9edb0: Command Of Evidence answer and explanation

Explanation

Why the other choices are wrong