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Here is a sample CARS passage for those of you studying for the MCAT. The solutions will be posted next week.
Mental conception precedes execution. The picture must exist in the artist's mind before it can be drawn on the canvas. The architect must mentally see the majestic cathedral in all its details before he can draw the plans from which it can be built. In the field of physical activity no movement is made until the mind has gone before and prepared the way. A person's ability to do is in a great degree measured by his determination to do, but sitting in a rocking-chair and thinking will never make an athlete. Mental action is necessary, but only through trained muscular action can the mental action materialize in a finished performance.
So too the mind must anticipate the action of the vocal organs, but the organs themselves must be led to interpret the mental concept until such action becomes spontaneous. Action in turn quickens the mental process, and the mental picture becomes more vivid.
Note with emphasis that the mental concept precedes the action and governs it. Therefore, instead of producing tone by local effort, by conscious muscular action of any sort, correctly think the tone, correctly shape and color it mentally. Every vocal tone is a mental concept made audible. The beginner and the confirmed bungler alike fail in this prime essential—they do not make this mental picture of tone before singing it. Kindred to this is deficiency in hearing, in discriminating between good tone color and poor. The student must constantly compare his tone as it is sung with the picture in his mind. Training the voice is therefore largely a training of mind and ear, a developing of nicety in discrimination. Singing is mental rather than physical, psychologic rather than physiologic. Think therefore of the effect desired rather than of the process.
In considering the details of voice production analytically we are apt to forget that man, notwithstanding his complexity, is a unit and acts as a unit. Back of all and underlying man's varied activity is the psychical. In the advanced stages of the art of speech and song this psychical element is of pre-eminent importance.
The speaker who essays to give expression to his own thoughts must have his ideas sharply defined and aflame in order to so utter them that they will arouse his hearers to enthusiasm. The speaker or singer who would successfully interpret the thoughts of others must first make those thoughts his very own. When this is attained, then the voice, action, and the whole spirit of the performer, responding to the theme, will beget a like responsiveness in his audience.
Books upon books have been written on voice training, and will continue to be written. The preceding pages have been devoted to the fundamental subject of tone production, but it is time to suggest that back of the voice and the song is the singer himself with his complex personality. Back of the personality is the soul itself, forever seeking utterance through its mask of personality. All genuine impulse to sing is from the soul in its need for expression. Through expression comes growth in soul consciousness and desire for greater and greater self-expression.
Singing is far more than "wind and muscle," for, as Frangcon-Davies puts it, "The whole spiritual system, spirit, mind, sense, soul, together with the whole muscular system from feet to head, will be in the wise man's singing, and the whole man will be in the tone."
SOURCE: Material used in this test passage has been adapted from the following source - Fillebrown, T. (1911). Resonance in Singing and Speaking. Boston: Oliver Ditson Company. This material is in the public domain.
1) The main argument of the article can best be summarized as:
A. One needs to develop himself or herself physically in order to sing.
B. Singing is just as much a mental exercise as a physical action.
C. Singing disguises the personality.
D. Truly listening is paramount to being able to sing well.
2) The word “psychologic” in the third paragraph, eighth sentence, can best be defined as:
A. The means to diagnose a person’s mental health.
B. The workings of a person’s vocal system.
C. The workings of a person’s mental and emotional state.
D. The expression of a person’s emotional being.
3) In developing one’s singing abilities, the author of the passage would agree with all of the following except:
A. A singer must listen as well as he or she sings.
B. A thoughtful person makes for a thoughtful singer.
C. Utmost importance must be placed on enunciation and breathing.
D. Emotions must be part of a song as much as the words and notes.
4) The argument of the passage would be most in line with which claim?
A. Singing is a science because one must understand the biological workings of the body in order to truly develop as a singer.
B. Singing is an art because it requires an understanding of emotions and an ability to express those through music.
C. Singing is a science because the components of singing can be systematically broken down and studied.
D. Singing is an art because not everyone has the creativity and talent necessary to become truly great.
5) The author would be inclined to agree with which of the following statements:
A. Just do it.
B. Dreams can become reality.
C. Talent is something you’re born with.
D. There is no human soul.
6) Which of the following activities would be the most comparable to singing, based on the author’s discussion of what singing properly entails?
A. Tracing a picture
B. Doing a personality assessment
C. Rock climbing
D. Acting in a play
Mental conception precedes execution. The picture must exist in the artist's mind before it can be drawn on the canvas. The architect must mentally see the majestic cathedral in all its details before he can draw the plans from which it can be built. In the field of physical activity no movement is made until the mind has gone before and prepared the way. A person's ability to do is in a great degree measured by his determination to do, but sitting in a rocking-chair and thinking will never make an athlete. Mental action is necessary, but only through trained muscular action can the mental action materialize in a finished performance.
So too the mind must anticipate the action of the vocal organs, but the organs themselves must be led to interpret the mental concept until such action becomes spontaneous. Action in turn quickens the mental process, and the mental picture becomes more vivid.
Note with emphasis that the mental concept precedes the action and governs it. Therefore, instead of producing tone by local effort, by conscious muscular action of any sort, correctly think the tone, correctly shape and color it mentally. Every vocal tone is a mental concept made audible. The beginner and the confirmed bungler alike fail in this prime essential—they do not make this mental picture of tone before singing it. Kindred to this is deficiency in hearing, in discriminating between good tone color and poor. The student must constantly compare his tone as it is sung with the picture in his mind. Training the voice is therefore largely a training of mind and ear, a developing of nicety in discrimination. Singing is mental rather than physical, psychologic rather than physiologic. Think therefore of the effect desired rather than of the process.
In considering the details of voice production analytically we are apt to forget that man, notwithstanding his complexity, is a unit and acts as a unit. Back of all and underlying man's varied activity is the psychical. In the advanced stages of the art of speech and song this psychical element is of pre-eminent importance.
The speaker who essays to give expression to his own thoughts must have his ideas sharply defined and aflame in order to so utter them that they will arouse his hearers to enthusiasm. The speaker or singer who would successfully interpret the thoughts of others must first make those thoughts his very own. When this is attained, then the voice, action, and the whole spirit of the performer, responding to the theme, will beget a like responsiveness in his audience.
Books upon books have been written on voice training, and will continue to be written. The preceding pages have been devoted to the fundamental subject of tone production, but it is time to suggest that back of the voice and the song is the singer himself with his complex personality. Back of the personality is the soul itself, forever seeking utterance through its mask of personality. All genuine impulse to sing is from the soul in its need for expression. Through expression comes growth in soul consciousness and desire for greater and greater self-expression.
Singing is far more than "wind and muscle," for, as Frangcon-Davies puts it, "The whole spiritual system, spirit, mind, sense, soul, together with the whole muscular system from feet to head, will be in the wise man's singing, and the whole man will be in the tone."
SOURCE: Material used in this test passage has been adapted from the following source - Fillebrown, T. (1911). Resonance in Singing and Speaking. Boston: Oliver Ditson Company. This material is in the public domain.
1) The main argument of the article can best be summarized as:
A. One needs to develop himself or herself physically in order to sing.
B. Singing is just as much a mental exercise as a physical action.
C. Singing disguises the personality.
D. Truly listening is paramount to being able to sing well.
2) The word “psychologic” in the third paragraph, eighth sentence, can best be defined as:
A. The means to diagnose a person’s mental health.
B. The workings of a person’s vocal system.
C. The workings of a person’s mental and emotional state.
D. The expression of a person’s emotional being.
3) In developing one’s singing abilities, the author of the passage would agree with all of the following except:
A. A singer must listen as well as he or she sings.
B. A thoughtful person makes for a thoughtful singer.
C. Utmost importance must be placed on enunciation and breathing.
D. Emotions must be part of a song as much as the words and notes.
4) The argument of the passage would be most in line with which claim?
A. Singing is a science because one must understand the biological workings of the body in order to truly develop as a singer.
B. Singing is an art because it requires an understanding of emotions and an ability to express those through music.
C. Singing is a science because the components of singing can be systematically broken down and studied.
D. Singing is an art because not everyone has the creativity and talent necessary to become truly great.
5) The author would be inclined to agree with which of the following statements:
A. Just do it.
B. Dreams can become reality.
C. Talent is something you’re born with.
D. There is no human soul.
6) Which of the following activities would be the most comparable to singing, based on the author’s discussion of what singing properly entails?
A. Tracing a picture
B. Doing a personality assessment
C. Rock climbing
D. Acting in a play
