Free Practice Question
RC · Reading Comprehension
705-805
Short Passage - Humanities
Reading Passage
The topic of criminality in Andrew Blanchard’s
work is a commonly pursued one. Its richness lies as
much within the thematic framework of Blanchard’s
prose as it does within the author’s own scandalous
(5) life. Not surprisingly, scholars frequently examine
Blanchard’s fictional world for clues that could reveal
the “real” story of their author. While the verdict of
such critiques traverses the entire spectrum of moral
judgments, from wholehearted compassion to reluctant
(10) absolution and dismissive condemnation, they all share
a certain smugness that prevents them from appreciating
the poetic brilliance of their objet de critique.
At the less commendable end of this critical
spectrum is Mark Newman’s 1989 study titled, Andrew
(15) Blanchard: Biography of Deceit. In his book, Newman
undertakes the formidable challenge of correcting and
clarifying certain aspects of Blanchard’s biography.
The study, a detective narrative in its own right, seeks
to expose Blanchard not only as a petty thief, but also
(20) as a bad playwright. Newman holds no punches in
condemning Blanchard’s plays as disturbing, distasteful,
even disgusting. He even dislikes the playwright’s
penchant for meta-theater, arguing that only a highly
skilled dramaturge can interweave multiple plays-
(25) within-a-play and still maintain a coherent narrative
structure. The implication being, of course, that
Blanchard was far from being a skilled dramaturge.
work is a commonly pursued one. Its richness lies as
much within the thematic framework of Blanchard’s
prose as it does within the author’s own scandalous
(5) life. Not surprisingly, scholars frequently examine
Blanchard’s fictional world for clues that could reveal
the “real” story of their author. While the verdict of
such critiques traverses the entire spectrum of moral
judgments, from wholehearted compassion to reluctant
(10) absolution and dismissive condemnation, they all share
a certain smugness that prevents them from appreciating
the poetic brilliance of their objet de critique.
At the less commendable end of this critical
spectrum is Mark Newman’s 1989 study titled, Andrew
(15) Blanchard: Biography of Deceit. In his book, Newman
undertakes the formidable challenge of correcting and
clarifying certain aspects of Blanchard’s biography.
The study, a detective narrative in its own right, seeks
to expose Blanchard not only as a petty thief, but also
(20) as a bad playwright. Newman holds no punches in
condemning Blanchard’s plays as disturbing, distasteful,
even disgusting. He even dislikes the playwright’s
penchant for meta-theater, arguing that only a highly
skilled dramaturge can interweave multiple plays-
(25) within-a-play and still maintain a coherent narrative
structure. The implication being, of course, that
Blanchard was far from being a skilled dramaturge.
The author most likely uses the phrase “fictional world” (line 6) to refer to
Answer Choices
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a body of work produced by an artist
B
a true belief that something is objectively false
C
an artistic concept
D
a potentially deceptive work
E
a body of work that has no relation to its author’s real life
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Difficulty
705-805
Type
RC
Category