GRE Question of the Day (June 28)

Verbal

In keeping with the notable incorporation of operatic elements into the rock music lexicon, the genre in the 1970s experienced a significant shift in emphasis away from recording and toward music performance itself. Several factors effected this change. First, the extended length and the moralizing subject matter of songs of the era rendered them less appropriate for radio play and more suitable for public presentation. Additionally, the advent of the concept album, in which multiple tracks revolved around a single unifying narrative or theme, furnished a basis upon which similarly calibrated performances could be enacted. Finally, as PA system technology improved, it became possible to hold concerts with 100,000 people or more, which encouraged artists to craft concerts that diverged from the merely musical toward the experiential. Bands began conceiving of their performances as shows, more akin to musical theater guided by plot and setting than to the traditional concert guided by the omnipresent set-list. Instead of simply playing one song after another, therefore, bands developed full performance medleys revolving around specific motifs, and punctuated by bombastic light shows, costume changes, and other massive stunts. For example, the popular British band Pink Floyd famously built a barrier in the middle of stage during one performance then had it dramatically knocked down mid-show as a promotion for their new album The Wall.

The passage cites all of the following as reasons for the inclusion of operatic elements into the rock music genre in the 1970s EXCEPT:

(A) Changes in concert equipment changed the way shows could be delivered.
(B) Pink Floyd’s dramatic staging served to promote an influential album.
(C) Shifts in the content of the music contributed to the songs having a more “story-telling” quality.
(D) One medium through which rock songs had typically been delivered to the public became less conducive to the genre.
(E) Artists altered their performances to reflect changes in the modern concert ambiance.

Question Discussion & Explanation

Correct Answer - B - (click and drag your mouse to see the answer)

In the context of the passage, the word “effected” (line 3) most nearly means

(A) influenced
(B) moved forward
(C) transformed
(D) determined
(E) brought about