12.Practice.Tests.for.the.SAT_2015-2016_1128p

Section 61
Practice Test Four 351
the original works of literature. I trust that all of
us have, at one time or another, gone to see the
theatrical version of a favorite novel and declared
(40) upon emerging, "It wasn't as good as the book."
Although the film may contain all the appealing
characters, stunning action, and insightful
dialogue from the written work, it will always be
missing one key ingredient: the active engagement
(45) of a reader who adds his own ideas, reflections,
and visualizations to the author's prose to create a
personally fulfilling experience, versus the passive
acceptance of an audience member whose theatrical
encounter, though perhaps enjoyable in its
(50) own right, is no different from that of all the other
people seated around him.
Passage 2
I am continually amazed that there are still people
who claim that film is not as legitimate an art
form as "real" (I suppose by this they mean "writ-
(55) ten") literature. Despite being relatively young to
the artistic world, cinema has quickly established
itself as a form capable of delivering powerful
messages that can be just as enduring as those of
its literary predecessors; indeed, one could even
(60) argue that film is a medium that captures the best
of both worlds, combining the depth and expressiveness
of written forms with the sheer aesthetic
appeal of the visual arts. Although its detractors
may try to tell you otherwise, film is a world apart
(65) from the domain of television; like the frozen dinners
that bear its name, TV is meant to be cheap,
quickly and conveniently enjoyed, and, ultimately,
disposable. Motion pictures, on the other hand,
are many times more costly in both time and
(70) money, can engage one's attention for hours on
end, and with the recent advent of home video,
are capable of being enjoyed over and over in
much the same way that someone would read and
reread a favorite book. In fact, I look forward to
(75) the day when the home video library will take its
rightful place next to the bookshelf as a center of
intellectual enjoyment and individual expression.
Now, all this is not to say that I encourage the
death of literacy; far from it. After all, though
(80) many forget this fact, every film begins its life as a
written work in the form of a screenplay. I actually
think it's a shame that more people don't read
screenplays; a well-written movie script can be a
work of art in itself, whether or not anyone ever
(85) decides to film it. In its essence, a screenplay is no
different from a stage play, one of the oldest and
most revered of all literary forms-and just like a
stage play, a screenplay can be either enhanced or
degraded by the quality of a performance. Is the
(90) literary reputation of William Shakespeare compromised
by the fact that he wrote his plays to be
performed as well as read on paper? I should hope
not! Thus, if you are ever tempted to question the
artistic heritage of the cinema, bear this in mind:
(95) When a piece of brilliant writing lies before the
author, his work is complete, but when it lies in
front of the filmmaker, the voyage to fulfill her
artistic vision has only just begun.
13. In contrast to the author of Passage 2, the author of
Passage 1 is more concerned with
(A) the extent to which literacy in our society has
diminished
(B) the relative lack of depth in contemporary
television entertainment
( C) the ways in which film has positively
impacted the literary field
(D) the difficult task that filmmakers have in
front of them
(E) the limiting effects film can have on people's
imaginations
14. The author of Passage 1 primarily mentions the
"marks on the page" (line 11) in order to
(A) comment upon the universal appeal of a
good novel
(B) suggest that even the appearance of the words
has an impact on the reader's impressions
(C) provide an example of a shared perception
(D) imply that the message of a well-written story
will be easily understood by everyone
(E) illustrate a common misconception
I GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE>