Comprehension
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
Humans today make music. Think beyond all the qualifications that might trail after this bald statement: that only certain humans make music, that extensive training is involved, that many societies distinguish musical specialists from nonmusicians, that in today’s societies most listen to music rather than making it, and so forth. These qualifications, whatever their local merit, are moot in the face of the overarching truth that making music, considered from a cognitive and psychological vantage, is the province of all those who perceive and experience what is made. We are, almost all of us, musicians — everyone who can entrain (not necessarily dance) to a beat, who can recognize a repeated tune (not necessarily sing it), who can distinguish one instrument or one singing voice from another. I will often use an antique word, recently revived, to name this broader musical experience. Humans are musicking creatures. . . .
The set of capacities that enables musicking is a principal marker of modern humanity. There is nothing polemical in this assertion except a certain insistence, which will figure often in what follows, that musicking be included in our thinking about fundamental human commonalities. Capacities involved in musicking are many and take shape in complicated ways, arising from innate dispositions . . . Most of these capacities overlap with nonmusical ones, though a few may be distinct and dedicated to musical perception and production. In the area of overlap, linguistic capacities seem to be particularly important, and humans are (in principle) language-makers in addition to music-makers — speaking creatures as well as
musicking ones.
Humans are symbol-makers too, a feature tightly bound up with language, not so tightly with music. The species Cassirer dubbed Homo symbolicus cannot help but tangle musicking in webs of symbolic thought and expression, habitually making it a component of behavioral complexes that form such expression. But in fundamental features musicking is neither language-like nor symbol-like, and from these differences come many clues to its ancient emergence.
If musicking is a primary, shared trait of modern humans, then to describe its emergence must be to detail the coalescing of that modernity. This took place, archaeologists are clear, over a very long durée: at least 50,000 years or so, more likely something closer to 200,000, depending in part on what that coalescence is taken to comprise. If we look back 20,000 years, a small portion of this long period, we reach the lives of humans whose musical capacities were probably little different from our own. As we look farther back we reach horizons where this similarity can no longer hold — perhaps 40,000 years ago, perhaps 70,000, perhaps 100,000. But we never cross a line before which all the cognitive capacities recruited in modern musicking abruptly disappear. Unless we embrace the incredible notion that music sprang forth in full-blown glory, its emergence will have to be tracked in gradualist terms across a long period.
This is one general feature of a history of music’s emergence . . . The history was at once sociocultural and biological . . . The capacities recruited in musicking are many, so describing its emergence involves following several or many separate strands.
Question: 1

Which one of the following sets of terms best serves as keywords to the passage?

Updated On: Jul 27, 2025
  • Humans; Psychological vantage; Musicking; Cassirer; Emergence of music.
  • Musicking; Cognitive psychology; Antique; Symbol-makers; Modernity.
  • Humans; Capacities; Language; Symbols; Modernity.
  • Humans; Musicking; Linguistic capacities; Symbol-making; Modern humanity.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The question asks us to identify the set of terms that best serves as keywords to summarize the provided passage. Let’s break down the elements that the passage emphasizes and match them to the options:
1. Humans and Musicking: The passage frequently refers to humans as inherently musical beings, introducing the term “musicking” to describe the broad capacity for musical engagement beyond just professional music-making.
2. Linguistic Capacities: It discusses the overlap between musical and linguistic capacities, highlighting their importance in human cognitive features.
3. Symbol-making: The text delves into humans as symbol-makers, how this ties to language, and the relation of symbolic thought to musicking.
4. Modern Humanity: The narrative discusses these capabilities as markers of modern humanity and explores the lengthy emergence of these traits over thousands of years.
Given these focal points of the passage, the option that aligns with all these key ideas is:
Humans; Musicking; Linguistic capacities; Symbol-making; Modern humanity.
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Question: 2

Based on the passage, which one of the following statements is a valid argument about the emergence of music/musicking?

Updated On: Jul 27, 2025
  • Although musicking is not language-like, it shares the quality of being a form of expression.
  • All musical work is located in the overlap between linguistic capacity and music production.
  • Anyone who can perceive and experience music must be considered capable of musicking.
  • 20,000 years ago, human musical capacities were not very different from what they are today.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The passage primarily discusses the evolution and significance of music-making in humans, referred to here as "musicking." The option about human musical capacities 20,000 years ago being similar to today is substantiated by the text, which implies that these capacities have been stable over a long period. Here's the breakdown of how this conclusion is drawn:

  1. In the passage, it's noted that humans from 20,000 years ago likely had musical capacities similar to contemporary humans. This suggests that musicking is an ancient and stable human trait.
  2. Although the passage explores the idea that music has evolved over a significant period, it indicates that changes are gradual and that recent historical capacities are not vastly different from today's.
  3. The text rejects the notion of a sudden emergence of music, instead describing its evolution as gradual and integrated within the broader human cognitive and sociocultural development.

Given these points, the statement "20,000 years ago, human musical capacities were not very different from what they are today" aligns with the passage's content. It highlights the stability of musical capabilities over a long timeline while acknowledging the gradual development of musicking.

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Question: 3

“Think beyond all the qualifications that might trail after this bald statement . . .” In the context of the passage, what is the author trying to communicate in this quoted extract?

Updated On: Jul 26, 2025
  • Thinking beyond qualifications allows us to give free reign to musical expressions.
  • A bald statement is one that is trailed by a series of qualifying clarifications and caveats.
  • Although there may be many caveats and other considerations, the statement is essentially true.
  • A bald statement is one that requires no qualifications to infer its meaning.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

In the provided passage, the author directly addresses the concept that humans universally engage in music-making, despite several reasonable qualifications or clarifications that might follow such a statement. The main point communicated through the quoted extract is the inherent truth of the premise: "Humans today make music." Although there are numerous qualifications that could refine or restrict this statement, such qualifications do not undermine the fundamental assertion. Instead, these aspects are considered moot in light of the overarching truth that humans inherently possess the capability to perceive and experience music. The author emphasizes that music-making or "musicking" is a cognitive and psychological trait shared by virtually all modern humans. This leads to the conclusion that even though there are caveats, the essence of the statement remains valid. Thus, the correct interpretation of the extract is: "Although there may be many caveats and other considerations, the statement is essentially true."
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Question: 4

Which one of the following statements, if true, would weaken the author’s claim that humans are musicking creatures?

Updated On: Jul 26, 2025
  • As musicking is neither language-like nor symbol-like, it is a much older form of expression.
  • Nonmusical capacities are of far greater consequence to human survival than the capacity for music.
  • Musical capacities are primarily socio-cultural, which explains the wide diversity of musical forms.
  • From a cognitive and psychological vantage, musicking arises from unconscious dispositions, not conscious ones.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The task here is to analyze the statements provided and identify which one weakens the author's claim that humans are musicking creatures. The author posits that musicking is a fundamental human trait, integral to our cognitive and psychological makeup. Let's evaluate each option: 

"As musicking is neither language-like nor symbol-like, it is a much older form of expression." This statement supports the author's claim by suggesting that musicking is an ancient form of expression, aligning with the idea that it's a basic human trait.

"Nonmusical capacities are of far greater consequence to human survival than the capacity for music." While this suggests non-musical traits might be more important for survival, it doesn't directly contradict the idea that musicking is a fundamental trait.

"Musical capacities are primarily socio-cultural, which explains the wide diversity of musical forms." This statement could weaken the author's claim because it places human musicking not as a fundamental trait but as a cultural phenomenon, varying widely across different societies. It implies that musicking might be more learned behavior dependent on social contexts rather than an innate human trait.

"From a cognitive and psychological vantage, musicking arises from unconscious dispositions, not conscious ones." This supports the author's view that musicking is rooted deeply in human nature, reinforcing it as a broad and unconscious human capacity.

In summary, option 3, "Musical capacities are primarily socio-cultural, which explains the wide diversity of musical forms," is the statement that most effectively undermines the author's claim by suggesting that musical ability is more cultural and not an intrinsic human trait.

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