Question

The passage states that Johnson composed all of the following EXCEPT

• A. jazz works
• B. popular songs
• C. symphonic music
• D. spirituals
• E. blues pieces
• A. They were strongly influenced by the musical experiments of Milhaud and Gershwin.
• B. They had little working familiarity with such forms of American music as jazz, blues, and popular songs.
• C. They made few attempts to introduce innovations into the classical symphonic tradition.
• A. underrated the popularity of Yamekraw
• B. undervalued Johnson's musical abilities
• C. had little interest in Johnson's influence on jazz
• D. had little regard for classical works that incorporate popular music
• M. neglected Johnson's contribution to classical symphonic music

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is a detail-oriented question with the negative keyword "EXCEPT." We need to scan the passage to find which of the listed musical forms Johnson composed, and identify the one that is not mentioned as his own composition.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's check the passage for each option:
(A) jazz works: The first sentence calls him a "great early jazz pianist" and "jazz composer." So, he composed jazz works.
(B) popular songs: The second paragraph mentions that his work \textit{Yamekraw} included "Johnson's own popular songs." So, he composed popular songs.
(C) symphonic music: The first paragraph states he was an "innovator in classical music, composing symphonic music." So, he composed symphonic music.
(E) blues pieces: The first sentence calls him an "important blues... composer," and the second paragraph describes \textit{Yamekraw} as "blues- and jazz-inspired." So, he composed blues pieces.
(D) spirituals: The second paragraph states that Johnson was experienced with spirituals and that \textit{Yamekraw} "included borrowings from spirituals." This indicates he used or incorporated existing spirituals, not that he composed them himself. The passage contrasts this with "Johnson's own popular songs," further highlighting the distinction.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The passage states that Johnson borrowed from spirituals, but it does not state that he composed them. Therefore, spirituals are the correct answer for this EXCEPT question.

Answer 2

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is an inference question asking what the passage implies about typical classical composers of the era. We need to look at how the author contrasts James P. Johnson with these other composers.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The key sentence is in the second paragraph: "Johnson, a serious musician more experienced than most classical composers with jazz, blues, spirituals, and popular music, was particularly suited to expand Milhaud's and Gershwin's experiments."
The phrase "more experienced than most classical composers" is a direct comparison. If Johnson was \textit{more} experienced, it logically implies that "most classical composers" were \textit{less} experienced with these forms of music.
Analyzing the Options:
(A) They were strongly influenced by the musical experiments of Milhaud and Gershwin.
The passage presents Milhaud and Gershwin as innovators. It does not state that most other composers were influenced by them.
(B) They had little working familiarity with such forms of American music as jazz, blues, and popular songs.
This is a direct inference from the statement that Johnson was "more experienced than most classical composers" with these genres. If he had more experience, they must have had less, or "little working familiarity." This is a valid inference.
(C) They made few attempts to introduce innovations into the classical symphonic tradition.
The passage states that the blend of styles was "not entirely new," citing Milhaud and Gershwin as examples of innovators. It doesn't give enough information to make a general statement about what "most" composers were doing.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The only statement that can be reliably inferred is (B), based on the direct comparison made between Johnson and his contemporaries.

Answer 3

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks about the author's view of "most critics." We need to analyze the beginning of the passage where the author describes the typical critical assessment of Johnson.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The passage opens with: "Music critics have consistently defined James P. Johnson as a great early jazz pianist... and an important blues and jazz composer." This is what critics \textit{do} acknowledge.
The author then introduces a contrast with the phrase "In addition, however...": "In addition, however, Johnson was an innovator in classical music..."
The structure "Critics see X. However, there is also Y" implies that critics have overlooked or failed to emphasize Y. In this case, Y is Johnson's role as an innovator in classical music.
Analyzing the Options:
(A) underrated the popularity of Yamekraw: The passage says \textit{Yamekraw} was "premiered successfully" and became his "most frequently performed extended work," but doesn't mention critics' views on its popularity.
(B) undervalued Johnson's musical abilities: Critics called him a "great" pianist and "important" composer, so they clearly valued his abilities in jazz and blues.
(C) had little interest in Johnson's influence on jazz: This is the opposite of what the passage states. They consistently define him by his role in jazz.
(D) had little regard for classical works that incorporate popular music: The passage does not discuss the general views of critics on this topic.
(E) neglected Johnson's contribution to classical symphonic music: This is the correct inference. By framing Johnson's classical work as an "In addition, however," the author strongly suggests that this is an area that critics have not focused on, or have neglected, in their assessments.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The author's argument structure implies that critics have focused on Johnson's jazz and blues work while neglecting his important contributions to classical music.