Test Index

GRE Sample Test 3 Verbal Reasoning 1

19 - 20
Questions 19 to 20 refer to the passage below. For each question, select one answer choice, unless the instructions state otherwise.
Islam, in part because of its ban on figural representation, has contributed certain characteristics to art that have been seen since the seventh century.Artists have to rely on vegetal motifs, calligraphy, and geometric patterns for ornamentation. According to a 2007 article in the journal Science, physicists Peter Lu and Paul J. Steinhardt discovered that Islamic artists as far back as the 15th century were using the concept of quasicrystalline geometry, symmetrical polygonal shapes in patterns that can be extended indefinitely without repetition. The polygons are actually mathematical principles that are appreciated both as science and art; however, the math precedes the shape. “They made things that reflect mathematics that were so sophisticated that we didn’t figure it out until the last 20 or 30 years,” said Lu in a 2007 interview with Reuters.

Question : 19

Total: 20

According to the passage, why do Islamic “artists have to rely on vegetal motifs, calligraphy, and geometric patterns for ornamentation”?

Because they did not have the necessary resources for other forms of expression,
Because other forms of expression were banned.
Because they did not have the mathematical sophistication for other forms of expression.
Because it was believed that abstract forms of representation were more aesthetically pleasing,
Because it was believed that indecipherability was fundamental to their art.

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