Although the twentieth century saw the rise of women as professional musicians,
the majority of composers and performers were, and still are, men. The music
industry in the U.S. and Britain overwhelmingly reflects the values of a
patriarchal society; the success or failure of a female artist is based
largely on her physical appearance and gendered performance style. Blues,
rock, and pop began as genres dominated by men, and thus included styles
of dress, lyrics, and sound born of a male perspective. The history of these
genres, then, is also a history of women seeking to locate their space within
a predominately masculine musical environment.
Women are always judged, in part, on their image, and it is through the
manipulation of this image that some women artists have been able to push
the boundaries of gender identity. Women have been able to enter popular
genres of music either by playing with the aesthetics of masculinity, or
by playing into a male expectation of femininity. Sexuality, therefore,
is a tool women continue to use to shape and reshape their place within
popular music.
Pushing boundaries is a balancing act, however, and a contradictory process.
In order to gain access to the world of popular music, a female artist must
at once be pleasing her audience, and, at the same time, remain true to
herself as a woman. A desire to be too much “one of the guys”
can lead to identity problems and ultimately to self-destruction. An artist's
use of irony or parody may run the risk of being mistaken for genuineness,
causing her to be objectified. Working within the limits of popular music
has proven difficult and dangerous for women. But due to the professionalism
and inventiveness of many female performers, the space for women in popular
music is being expanded and redefined.
1. According to the passage, successful women in popular music
I. parody their gender
II. are under constant scrutiny by audiences
III. use sexuality to their advantage
(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and III
(D) II and III
(E) I, II, and III
2. The passage suggests which of the following about the 20th century?
(A) Female musicians were tolerated because of their physical appearance.
(B) Professional male musicians did not respect women.
(C) Song lyrics changed over time to fit the most current female perspective.
(D) Rapid technological advancements helped women achieve notoriety in music.
(E) Women's musical progress happened slowly and with much struggle.
3. Which of the following best describes summarizes the main idea of the last
paragraph?
(A) Entering the music world is not easy for women but they are making progress.
(B) Parody and irony are the only ways in which women can hope to achieve success
in music.
(C) Women in popular music cannot escape being judged on their appearance.
(D) Women assume stereotypically female appearances in order to attract audiences.
(E) Popular music has space for women if only they would seek it out.
4. The author is likely to have which of the following attitudes when advising
women about the music business?
(A) persuasive
(B) cautionary
(C) ambivalence
(D) discouraging
(E) hostile
5. From which of the following sources was the passage most likely excerpted?
(A) A newspaper editorial
(B) An American history textbook
(C) A book on gender studies
(D) A teaching manual
(E) A music magazine
Answer Explanations:
1. According to the passage, successful women in popular music
I. parody their gender
II. are under constant scrutiny by audiences
III. use sexuality to their advantage
(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and III
(D) II and III
(E) I, II, and III
Type: Detail of the passage
(D). The passage states "In order to gain access to the world of popular
music, a female artist must at once be pleasing her audience, and, at the same
time, remain true to herself as a woman," indicating that audience
opinion is central to a woman's success in music, so II is correct. III is also
correct because the passage states: "Sexuality, therefore, is a tool
women continue to use to shape and reshape their place within popular music." However, I is not stated in the passage. The passage states that parody
can often lead to objectification. While it can be useful at times, it does
not guarantee success and therefore is incorrect. (500)
2. The passage suggests which of the following about the 20th century?
(A) Female musicians were tolerated because of their physical appearance.
(B) Professional male musicians did not respect women.
(C) Song lyrics changed over time to fit the most current female perspective.
(D) Rapid technological advancements helped women achieve notoriety in music.
(E) Women's musical progress happened slowly and with much struggle.
Type: Inference
(E). Only (E) is an inference based on actual information contained in the passage.
(A) is partly true but the passage doesn't really mention tolerance; its focus
is on acceptance of women in the music world. (B), (C) and (D) are
never mentioned in the passage. (E) gets to the author's main point, and is
backed up by several parts of the passage, which discuss the role of women in
music and how it has changed over the century, with much trouble. (400)
3. Which of the following best describes summarizes the main idea of the last
paragraph?
(A) Entering the music world is not easy for women but they are making progress.
(B) Parody and irony are the only ways in which women can hope to achieve success
in music.
(C) Women in popular music cannot escape being judged on their appearance.
(D) Women assume stereotypically female appearances in order to attract audiences.
(E) Popular music has space for women if only they would seek it out.
Type: Main Idea
(A). (C) brings up an idea from the first paragraph and therefore missed the
main idea of the last. (B) misconstrues an issue in the last paragraph, while
(D) brings up a detail from the last paragraph but misses the main idea. (E)
is never stated anywhere in the paragraph and very much goes against the author's
tone in the passage as a whole. (300)
4. The author is likely to have which of the following attitudes when advising
women about the music business?
(A) persuasive
(B) cautionary
(C) ambivalence
(D) discouraging
(E) hostile
Type: Tone
(B). The author states in the last paragraph that popular music careers for
women are "a balancing act" and that "Working within
the limits of popular music has proven difficult and dangerous for women." Clearly the author does not view popular music as welcoming towards women.
The author is also not particularly positive in his or her description of the
music world. Therefore the author is unlikely to be "persuasive" toward
women seeking entrance into a music career. The author's knowledge of the subject
and subsequent remarks about women show him or her to have a real opinion, and
not be ambivalent. Hostile is too extreme for this author; just take a look
at her subdued descriptions. If this essay were hostile, it would be very different
in its writing style. Though the authors somewhat negative assessment of the
music industry may cause you to think the answer is "discouraging,"
the author does however, explain that some women have been able to make real
progress when he or she says "But due to the professionalism and inventiveness
of many female performers, the space for women in popular music is being expanded
and redefined." Therefore the closest attitude would be "cautionary."
The author believes some women can be successful, but would likely warn any
she met to be careful in the business. (700)
5. From which of the following sources was the passage most likely excerpted?
(A) A newspaper editorial
(B) An American history textbook
(C) A book on gender studies
(D) A teaching manual
(E) A music magazine
Type: Category of Writing
(C). The passage is most likely to come from a book on gender studies because
it describes the challenges women face in a particular arena. It is not likely
to be a newspaper editorial (it contains historical information and has little
to do with events in the news) nor is it likely to come from a teaching manual
(it does not contain directions or lessons) nor an American history textbook
(the passage contains British, as well as U.S. history). A music magazine will
contain articles on current trends in music, reviews, interviews, etc. This
passage is too general and the language is a bit too sophisticated for a music
magazine. (500)
This passage is adapted from "Women in Popular Music" Rebecca
Pronsky (2002) Brown University
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