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RC Passage
Direction for the questions 5 to 9: The passage below is accompanied by a set of five questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
"Free of the taint of manufacture" â that phrase, in particular, is heavily loaded with the ideology of what the Victorian socialist William Morris called the "anti-scrape", or an anticapitalist conservationism (not conservatism) that solaced itself with the vision of a preindustrial golden age. In Britain, folk may often appear a cosy, fossilised form, but when you look more closely, the idea of folk â who has the right to sing it, dance it, invoke it, collect it, belong to it or appropriate it for political or cultural ends â has always been contested territory.
In our own time, though, the word "folk" has achieved the rare distinction of occupying fashionable and unfashionable status simultaneously. Just as the effusive floral prints of the radical William Morris now cover genteel sofas, so the revolutionary intentions of many folk historians and revivalists have led to music that is commonly regarded as parochial and conservative. And yet â as newspaper columns periodically rejoice â folk is hip again, influencing artists, clothing and furniture designers, celebrated at music festivals, awards ceremonies and on TV, reissued on countless record labels. Folk is a sonic "shabby chic", containing elements of the uncanny and eerie, as well as an antique veneer, a whiff of Britain's heathen dark ages. The very obscurity and anonymity of folk music's origins open up space for rampant imaginative fancies.
[Cecil Sharp, who wrote about this subject, believed that] folk songs existed in constant transformation, a living example of an art form in a perpetual state of renewal. "One man sings a song, and then others sing it after him, changing what they do not like" is the most concise summary of his conclusions on its origins. He compared each rendition of a ballad to an acorn falling from an oak tree; every subsequent iteration sows the song anew. But there is tension in newness. In the late 1960s, purists were suspicious of folk songs recast in rock idioms. Electrification, however, comes in many forms. For the early-20th-century composers such as Vaughan Williams and Holst, there were thunderbolts of inspiration from oriental mysticism, angular modernism and the body blow of the first world war, as well as input from the rediscovered folk tradition itself.
For the second wave of folk revivalists, such as Ewan MacColl and AL Lloyd, starting in the 40s, the vital spark was communism's dream of a post-revolutionary New Jerusalem. For their younger successors in the 60s, who thronged the folk clubs set up by the old guard, the lyrical freedom of Dylan and the unchained melodies of psychedelia created the conditions for folkrock's own golden age, a brief Indian summer that lasted from about 1969 to 1971. Four decades on, even that progressive period has become just one more era ripe for fashionable emulation and pastiche. The idea of a folk tradition being exclusively confined to oral transmission has become a much looser, less severely guarded concept. Recorded music and television, for today's metropolitan generation, are where the equivalent of folk memories are seeded.
RC Line-wise Explanation
Paragraph 1
"âFree of the taint of manufactureâ â that phrase, in particular, is heavily loaded with the ideology of what the Victorian socialist William Morris called the 'anti-scrape', or an anticapitalist conservationism (not conservatism) that solaced itself with the vision of a preindustrial golden age."
Explanation: The phrase "free of the taint of manufacture" reflects the ideology of William Morris, a Victorian socialist who advocated for a vision of preindustrial society, which he thought was pure and untainted by capitalist production.
"In Britain, folk may often appear a cosy, fossilised form, but when you look more closely, the idea of folk â who has the right to sing it, dance it, invoke it, collect it, belong to it or appropriate it for political or cultural ends â has always been contested territory."
Explanation: In Britain, folk music and culture may seem like a cozy, outdated tradition, but the concept of "folk" has always been a contested idea, with debates over who can participate in it, claim it, or use it for political or cultural purposes.
Paragraph 2
"In our own time, though, the word 'folk' has achieved the rare distinction of occupying fashionable and unfashionable status simultaneously."
Explanation: Today, the word "folk" holds the unusual position of being both fashionable and unfashionable at the same time.
"Just as the effusive floral prints of the radical William Morris now cover genteel sofas, so the revolutionary intentions of many folk historians and revivalists have led to music that is commonly regarded as parochial and conservative."
Explanation: Just as the radical ideas of William Morris have been commercialized into floral patterns on furniture, the revolutionary goals of folk historians and revivalists have led to folk music being seen as provincial and conservative.
"And yet â as newspaper columns periodically rejoice â folk is hip again, influencing artists, clothing and furniture designers, celebrated at music festivals, awards ceremonies and on TV, reissued on countless record labels."
Explanation: Despite being seen as conservative, folk music has made a comeback, influencing artists, designers, and being celebrated in festivals, media, and through reissues on various record labels.
"Folk is a sonic 'shabby chic', containing elements of the uncanny and eerie, as well as an antique veneer, a whiff of Britain's heathen dark ages."
Explanation: Folk music has become a kind of "shabby chic" in music, with elements that feel strange or eerie, along with an antique charm that evokes a sense of ancient, pagan Britain.
"The very obscurity and anonymity of folk music's origins open up space for rampant imaginative fancies."
Explanation: The unknown and anonymous origins of folk music allow for much creative interpretation and imagination.
Paragraph 3
"[Cecil Sharp, who wrote about this subject, believed that] folk songs existed in constant transformation, a living example of an art form in a perpetual state of renewal."
Explanation: Cecil Sharp, a scholar of folk music, believed that folk songs are constantly changing and evolving, representing an art form in a state of continual renewal.
"'One man sings a song, and then others sing it after him, changing what they do not like' is the most concise summary of his conclusions on its origins."
Explanation: Sharpâs view on folk musicâs origins is that songs evolve through many renditions, with each person who sings it changing parts they donât like, making the song evolve constantly.
"He compared each rendition of a ballad to an acorn falling from an oak tree; every subsequent iteration sows the song anew."
Explanation: Sharp likened each version of a song to an acorn falling from an oak, symbolizing how each performance of a song plants the seeds for a new version.
"But there is tension in newness."
Explanation: However, the idea of constant transformation of folk music is not without tension or conflict.
Paragraph 4
"In the late 1960s, purists were suspicious of folk songs recast in rock idioms."
Explanation: In the 1960s, traditional folk music purists were skeptical of folk music being reinterpreted through the lens of rock music.
"Electrification, however, comes in many forms."
Explanation: The process of making music electric is not limited to one form, but can be done in many different ways.
"For the early-20th-century composers such as Vaughan Williams and Holst, there were thunderbolts of inspiration from oriental mysticism, angular modernism and the body blow of the first world war, as well as input from the rediscovered folk tradition itself."
Explanation: Early 20th-century composers like Vaughan Williams and Holst drew inspiration from various sources, including oriental mysticism, modernism, the First World War, and the rediscovered folk tradition.
Paragraph 5
"For the second wave of folk revivalists, such as Ewan MacColl and AL Lloyd, starting in the 40s, the vital spark was communism's dream of a post-revolutionary New Jerusalem."
Explanation: The second wave of folk revivalists in the 1940s, like Ewan MacColl and AL Lloyd, were inspired by the vision of a post-revolutionary society, which was influenced by communism.
"For their younger successors in the 60s, who thronged the folk clubs set up by the old guard, the lyrical freedom of Dylan and the unchained melodies of psychedelia created the conditions for folkrock's own golden age, a brief Indian summer that lasted from about 1969 to 1971."
Explanation: In the 1960s, younger folk revivalists were influenced by Bob Dylanâs lyrics and the freedom of psychedelic music, leading to the golden age of folk rock between 1969 and 1971.
"Four decades on, even that progressive period has become just one more era ripe for fashionable emulation and pastiche."
Explanation: Forty years later, even the progressive folk rock era has become another period to be imitated and remade in a fashionable, superficial way.
Paragraph 6
"The idea of a folk tradition being exclusively confined to oral transmission has become a much looser, less severely guarded concept."
Explanation: The idea that folk traditions are only passed down orally has become more flexible and less strictly enforced.
"Recorded music and television, for today's metropolitan generation, are where the equivalent of folk memories are seeded."
Explanation: For todayâs urban generation, folk memories are now seeded through recorded music and television, rather than through oral transmission.
RC Paragraph Explanation
Paragraph 1 Summary
The idea of "folk" has always been contested, with debates over who can claim it and use it for political or cultural purposes. The phrase "free of the taint of manufacture" reflects an ideology that idealizes a preindustrial golden age, but the concept of folk is far from static.
Paragraph 2 Summary
Folk has a contradictory status in contemporary culture, being both fashionable and unfashionable. Though its origins were revolutionary, folk music has become commercialized, influencing various aspects of culture while retaining an aura of nostalgia and the uncanny.
Paragraph 3 Summary
Cecil Sharp viewed folk songs as constantly evolving, with each rendition of a song representing a new iteration. This constant transformation creates tension between the old and new, highlighting the dynamic nature of folk music.
Paragraph 4 Summary
In the late 1960s, traditional folk purists were wary of folk music being electrified. However, early 20th-century composers, such as Vaughan Williams, were influenced by both modernism and folk traditions, blending these elements into their work.
Paragraph 5 Summary
The second wave of folk revivalists was inspired by communism's vision of a post-revolutionary society, while the younger generation in the 1960s, influenced by artists like Bob Dylan, gave rise to the golden age of folk rock, which has since become an era ripe for imitation.
Paragraph 6 Summary
The traditional view of folk being solely passed down orally has shifted, with modern folk memories now being created through recorded music and television for today's generation, reflecting a more flexible approach to folk traditions.
RC Quick Table Summary
| Paragraph Number | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | The concept of folk has always been contested, with debates over ownership and political appropriation. |
| Paragraph 2 | Folk music holds a contradictory status, being both fashionable and unfashionable, with nostalgic and uncanny qualities. |
| Paragraph 3 | Cecil Sharp believed folk songs constantly evolve, with each rendition being a new iteration, reflecting tension between tradition and change. |
| Paragraph 4 | In the 1960s, folk music electrification was met with skepticism, but early composers blended modernism with folk traditions. |
| Paragraph 5 | The second wave of folk revivalists was inspired by communism, while the younger generation in the 1960s created the folk rock golden age, now ripe for imitation. |
| Paragraph 6 | The idea of folk being exclusively oral has shifted, with modern folk memories now seeded through recorded music and television. |
RC Questions
Ques 5. At a conference on folk forms, the author of the passage is least likely to agree with which one of the following views ?
Ques 6. The primary purpose of the reference to William Morris and his floral prints is to show:
Ques 7. Which of the following statements about folk revivalism of the 1940s and 1960s cannot be inferred from the passage?
Ques 8. The author says that folk âmay often appear a cosy, fossilised formâ because:
Ques 9. All of the following are causes for plurality and diversity within the British folk tradition EXCEPT:
