“Collectors prize the ancient life-size clay statues of human figures made on Kali Island but have long wondered how Kalinese artists were able to depict bodies with such realistic precision. Since archaeologists have recently discovered molds of human heads and hands on Kali, we can now conclude that the ancient Kalinese artists used molds of actual bodies, not sculpting tools and techniques, to create these statues. This discovery explains why Kalinese miniature statues were abstract and entirely different in style: molds could be used only for life-size sculptures. It also explains why few ancient Kalinese sculpting tools have been found. In light of this discovery, collectors predict that the life-size sculptures will decrease in value while the miniatures increase in value.”
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the prediction.
The article talks about the discoveries of molds of human heads and hands on kali Island and their implications. The discovery suggests a possible way of making life size kalinese sculptures. Also, the writer predicts the effect of this discovery on the value of the sculptures. but that prediction relies upon unexamined inferences. The validity of these predictions helps to evaluate the accuracy of the prediction.
First, it is questionable whether the discovered molds of heads and hands were actually used to make the life-size sculptures in kali. The molds could be used for some religious purpose. For example, there might be some annual ceremony that needed a huge amount of life-sized man, but the sculptures were actually made by hand. if this were known to be the case, we would expect no impact on collector demand, as making the sculptures did not involve the use of the molds. Alternatively, we could ask where are other parts of the mold body? if only molds of human heads and hands were found, we cannot confidently conclude that the sculptures were made by molds, since without part like muscles, limps, etc., the mold could not be used. Even if some sculptures were made by mold, we can ask what portion of them were created in that way? if only a small portion of sculptors used the molds, the value of life-size sculptures will not experience a significant decrease.
Second, the author implies that the collectors value the sculptures and statues because of the human work and sculpting techniques involved. but is that where the value of kalinese sculptures comes from? collectors might, for example, value those work because of their physical beauty, or sophistication. Replication does not necessarily mean low value. Likewise, we could ask does that value come from the special materials used? To claim the value of life-size sculptures will decrease and the value of miniature sculptures will increase, the writer needs to investigate into how people judge the value of those works.
To summarize, the passage faces two major questions. if either one of them were proved false, we could not believe the prediction made by the author.
Comments
Essay evaluation report
samples:
https://www.testbig.com/gmatgre-argument-task-essays/collectors-prize-a…
----------------------
Attribute Value Ideal
Final score: 3.0 out of 6
Category: Satisfactory Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 0 2
No. of Sentences: 14 15
No. of Words: 359 350
No. of Characters: 1755 1500
No. of Different Words: 174 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.353 4.7
Average Word Length: 4.889 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.614 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 104 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 83 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 65 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 47 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 25.643 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 14.612 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.571 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.377 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.588 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.187 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 4 5
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 280, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: But
...scovery on the value of the sculptures. but that prediction relies upon unexamined ...
^^^
Line 3, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...uate the accuracy of the prediction. First, it is questionable whether the di...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 9, column 329, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: If
... sculptures were actually made by hand. if this were known to be the case, we woul...
^^
Line 9, column 542, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: If
...where are other parts of the mold body? if only molds of human heads and hands wer...
^^
Line 9, column 839, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: If
...rtion of them were created in that way? if only a small portion of sculptors used ...
^^
Line 11, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...t experience a significant decrease. Second, the author implies that the coll...
^^^^^^^^^^
Line 15, column 142, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: But
...work and sculpting techniques involved. but is that where the value of kalinese scu...
^^^
Line 15, column 205, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Collectors
...alue of kalinese sculptures comes from? collectors might, for example, value those work be...
^^^^^^^^^^
Line 17, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...ople judge the value of those works. To summarize, the passage faces two majo...
^^^^^
Line 19, column 54, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: If
... the passage faces two major questions. if either one of them were proved false, w...
^^
Line 21, column 1, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...e the prediction made by the author.
^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, but, first, if, likewise, second, so, for example
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 15.0 19.6327345309 76% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 13.0 12.9520958084 100% => OK
Conjunction : 11.0 11.1786427146 98% => OK
Relative clauses : 9.0 13.6137724551 66% => More relative clauses wanted.
Pronoun: 23.0 28.8173652695 80% => OK
Preposition: 45.0 55.5748502994 81% => OK
Nominalization: 8.0 16.3942115768 49% => More nominalizations (nouns with a suffix like: tion ment ence ance) wanted.
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1843.0 2260.96107784 82% => OK
No of words: 359.0 441.139720559 81% => More content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.13370473538 5.12650576532 100% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.35284910392 4.56307096286 95% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.70249829313 2.78398813304 97% => OK
Unique words: 185.0 204.123752495 91% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.515320334262 0.468620217663 110% => OK
syllable_count: 569.7 705.55239521 81% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59920159681 100% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 7.0 4.96107784431 141% => OK
Article: 10.0 8.76447105788 114% => OK
Subordination: 7.0 2.70958083832 258% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 4.0 1.67365269461 239% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 3.0 4.22255489022 71% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 21.0 19.7664670659 106% => OK
Sentence length: 17.0 22.8473053892 74% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 42.4464982704 57.8364921388 73% => OK
Chars per sentence: 87.7619047619 119.503703932 73% => OK
Words per sentence: 17.0952380952 23.324526521 73% => OK
Discourse Markers: 3.09523809524 5.70786347227 54% => More transition words/phrases wanted.
Paragraphs: 4.0 5.15768463074 78% => More paragraphs wanted.
Language errors: 11.0 5.25449101796 209% => Less language errors wanted.
Sentences with positive sentiment : 11.0 8.20758483034 134% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 3.0 6.88822355289 44% => More negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 7.0 4.67664670659 150% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.173754679818 0.218282227539 80% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0533716083429 0.0743258471296 72% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0479930005032 0.0701772020484 68% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0924256802824 0.128457276422 72% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0456128606165 0.0628817314937 73% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 11.3 14.3799401198 79% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 54.22 48.3550499002 112% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 7.1628742515 43% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 9.9 12.197005988 81% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.18 12.5979740519 97% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.04 8.32208582834 97% => OK
difficult_words: 81.0 98.500998004 82% => More difficult words wanted.
linsear_write_formula: 6.5 12.3882235529 52% => Linsear_write_formula is low.
gunning_fog: 8.8 11.1389221557 79% => OK
text_standard: 10.0 11.9071856287 84% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 58.33 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.5 Out of 6
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.