RC 6

By 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was internationally renowned as the composer of The Marriage of

Figaro, and consequently received a commission from the Prague Opera House to compose another opera.

The resulting product was Don Giovanni, which tells the tale of a criminal and seducer who nevertheless

evokes sympathy from audiences, and whose behavior

5 fluctuates from moral crisis to hilarious escapade.

While Don Giovanni is widely considered to be Mozart's greatest achievement, eighteenth century

audiences in Vienna — Mozart's own city — were ambivalent at best. The opera mixed traditions of moralism

with those of comedy — a practice heretofore unknown among the composer's works — creating a production

that was not well liked by conservative Viennese

10 audiences. Meanwhile, however, Don Giovanni was performed to much acclaim throughout Europe.

12. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) relate the story of a somewhat likable antihero

(B) discuss how a work of art has been met by diverging responses

(C) give a history of the work of Mozart

(D) make a case for the renown of Don Giovanni

(E) emphasize the moral aspects of a musical work

13. The author mentions the mixing of "traditions of moralism with those of comedy" primarily in order to

(A) explain a work's lackluster reception among a particular group of people

(B) remind the reader of the plot of Don Giovanni

(C) highlight a practice common in contemporary opera

(D) argue for an innovative approach to opera

(E) undermine a previously presented assertion

14. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following is true about the response of Viennese audiences to

Don Giovanni?

(A) The audiences preferred purely moralistic works.

(B) The response was unequivocally positive.

(C) They did not know that the composer was attempting to mix musical styles.

(D) The play's moral themes were offensive to Viennese audiences.

(E) To say that the response was "mixed" would be a generous interpretation.

Questions 15–17 are based on the following reading passage.

In the 1960's, Northwestern University sociologist John McKnight coined the term redlining, the

practice of denying service, or charging more for service, to customers in particular geographic areas, areas

often determined by the racial composition of the neighborhood. The term came from the practice of banks

outlining certain areas in red on a

5

map — within the red outline, banks refused to invest. With no access to mortgages, residents within the red

line suffered low property values and landlord abandonment; buildings abandoned by landlords were then likely

to become centers of drug dealing and other crime, thus further lowering property values.

Redlining in mortgage lending was made illegal by the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which

10

prohibited such discrimination based on race, religion, gender, familial status, disability, or ethnic origin, and

by community reinvestment legislation in the 1970's. However, redlining may have continued in less explicit

ways, and can also take place in regards to constrained access to health care, jobs, insurance, and more. Even

today, some credit card companies send different offers to homes in different neighborhoods, and some auto

insurance companies offer

15 different rates based on zip code.

Reverse redlining occurs when predatory businesses specifically target minority consumers for the

purpose of charging them more than would usually be charged to a consumer of the majority group. Redlining

can lead to reverse redlining — if a retailer refuses to serve a certain area based on the ethnic-minority

composition of the area, people in that area

20 can fall prey to opportunistic smaller retailers who sell inferior goods at higher prices.

Consider each of the answer choices separately and indicate all that apply.

15. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

Redlining ceased with the passing of the Fair Housing Act in 1968.

Redlining today may be less overt than before its illegalization.

Access to mortgages is related to higher property values.

16. Which of the following, not mentioned in the passage, would qualify as an example of reverse redlining as defined

in the passage?

(A) A bank refuses to offer mortgages to consumers in certain neighborhoods.

(B) Residents of low-income neighborhoods are less likely to be hired for positions than residents of

higher-income neighborhoods, even when the applicants have the same qualifications.

(C) Police respond to reports of crimes more quickly in some neighborhoods than in others.

(D) A grocery store in a low-income neighborhood sells low-quality produce for high prices, knowing

that most residents do not have the ability to buy elsewhere.

(E) An auto insurance company hires an African American spokesperson in a bid to attract more African

American consumers.

17. Which correctly describes a sequence of events presented in the passage?

(A) Subprime mortgages lead to widespread defaults, which lead to landlord abandonment.

(B) Reverse redlining leads to landlord abandonment, which leads to the use of buildings for crime and

drug dealing.

(C) Landlord abandonment leads to redlining, which leads to crime and drug dealing.

((D) Redlining leads to reverse redlining, which leads to constrained access to health care, jobs, insurance,

and more.

(E) Redlining leads to landlord abandonment, which leads to the use of buildings for crime and drug

dealing.