Today composer Scott Joplin is mainly celebrated for his catchy ragtime pieces "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer." However, by overlooking his less famous works, listeners will miss the full range of Joplin's creativity. For instance, his waltz "Pleasant Moments" and his opera Treemonisha skillfully blend ragtime and classical music. These masterpieces deserve as much fame as Joplin's biggest hits
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
Explanation
Context: The passage acknowledges that Joplin is celebrated for "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer," but argues that listeners who stop there miss his full creativity. It then presents "Pleasant Moments" and Treemonisha as masterpieces that blend ragtime and classical music and deserve equal fame.
Answer: A) To argue that more attention should be given to Joplin's lesser known works
Why? The passage uses evaluative language throughout—"will miss," "deserve as much fame"—to advocate for greater attention to Joplin's less famous pieces. The purpose is explicitly persuasive.
Traps:
- B) To describe similarities and differences between ragtime and opera → the passage mentions that Treemonisha blends both, but doesn't analyze or compare the genres themselves
- C) To explain how Joplin learned to compose → Joplin's background and training are never discussed
- D) To encourage listening to many different composers → the passage focuses entirely on Joplin; no other composers are mentioned