flute - support CR

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flute - support CR

by aj5105 » Sat Jan 03, 2009 9:26 pm
The spacing of the four holes on a fragment of a bone flute excavated at a Neanderthal campsite is just what is required to play the third through sixth notes of the diatonic scale—the seven-note musical scale used in much of Western music since the Renaissance. Musicologists therefore hypothesize that the diatonic musical scale was developed and used thousands of years before it was adopted by Western musicians.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis?

A. Bone flutes were probably the only musical instrument made by Neanderthals.
B. No musical instrument that is known to have used a diatonic scale is of an earlier date than the flute found at the Neanderthal campsite.
C. The flute was made from a cave-bear bone and the campsite at which the flute fragment was excavated was in a cave that also contained skeletal remains of cave bears.
D. Flutes are the simplest wind instrument that can be constructed to allow playing a diatonic scale.
E. The cave-bear leg bone used to make the Neanderthal flute would have been long enough to make a flute capable of playing a complete diatonic scale.
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by crossingfingers » Sat Jan 03, 2009 9:54 pm
IMO E...

A. Bone flutes were probably the only musical instrument made by Neanderthals. -so? doesnt strengthen the conclusion that diatonic notes were used long before Western musicians
B. No musical instrument that is known to have used a diatonic scale is of an earlier date than the flute found at the Neanderthal campsite. - we are not bothered about an earlier date here...
C. The flute was made from a cave-bear bone and the campsite at which the flute fragment was excavated was in a cave that also contained skeletal remains of cave bears. - doesnt talk abt the diatonic scale
D. Flutes are the simplest wind instrument that can be constructed to allow playing a diatonic scale. - doesnt talk abt the diatonic scale
E. The cave-bear leg bone used to make the Neanderthal flute would have been long enough to make a flute capable of playing a complete diatonic scale. - the bone used to make the flute infact can support a diatonic scale (7 notes) and it strengthens the conclusion...


Whats the OA?

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by maihuna » Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:33 pm
Yes, E seems to fill the gap by killing an alternate reason.

Situation: Western musicians have adopted the seven note diatonic musical scale developed thousands of year as one such bone fragement has been excavated at a Neanderthal campsite.

What will strengthen the reasoning: If the bone used itself were not long eough as required such musical scale has not been possible at Neanderthal.

And so E strengthen it.

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by ronniecoleman » Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:27 am
IMO E

conclusion: diatonic musical scale was developed and used thousands of years before it was adopted by Western musicians.


what if this was accidentally made by the nomads...
Option E contradicts it,...
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by ashley.com » Fri May 13, 2016 2:40 am
Official answer is E?