501 Critical Reading Questions

Critical Reading Questions

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152.
b.
Line 11 states that the oldest PRB member was only 21 years
old, so it is clear that the members were young and still devel-
oping their skills as artists.
153.
e.
In the third paragraph (lines 14–26), the author states that the
PRB believed their peers’ art 
lack[ed] in meaning and aesthetic
honesty
because it often depicted 
overly idealized landscapes, care-
fully arranged family portraits and still lifes, and overly dramatic
nature scenes
. In contrast, the PRB believed art should 
more accu-
rately depic[t] reality
and portray people, places, and things realis-
tically instead of in an idealized way.
154.
a.
Lines 34–36 state that the PRB’s 
realism—especially as it related to
the Biblical figures—was not well received by many in the art world
at the time
.
155.
c.
Lines 14–16 state that the PRB 
was formed in response to the
brotherhood’s belief that the current popular art being produced in
England was lacking in meaning and aesthetic honesty
. In addition,
line 24 states that the PRB was 
committed to bringing greater
integrity to art
, suggesting that their peers’ work did not have
integrity.
156.
e.
The topic sentence of the sixth paragraph states that 
one of the
most distinctive aspects of PRB works—both in contrast to the works
produced during the early nineteenth century and with the art of
today—is their dramatic use of color
(lines 45–47).
157.
b.
Throughout the passage, the author describes the principles of
the PRB—why the group was formed (paragraphs 2 and 3) and
how the group attempted to live up to its principles (paragraphs
4–6). There is little or no information offered about the other
answer choices.
158.
a.
In the third paragraph, the author states that the PRB rejected
the style and subjects of the Royal Academy, seeking instead
subjects that, by their very nature, had greater meaning and more
accurately depicted reality
(lines 22–23). In paragraph four, the
author describes how the PRB chose its subjects and aimed to
portray people more realistically, thus implying that the mem-
bers of the PRB had a greater awareness of social issues. In
addition, in lines 38–39, the author states that the PRB often
chose subjects that 
highlight[ed] the societal and moral challenges of
the time.
159.
e.
The three examples in the first paragraph show that there is a
wide range of styles of public art in New York City and that
public art can be found in a variety of places, including more
mundane locations such as the subway and post office.
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