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In the 1960s, Chavela Vargas became an unlikely star in ranchera, a style of traditional Mexican music.Most ranchera singers had...

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  • In the 1960s, Chavela Vargas became an unlikely star in ranchera, a style of traditional Mexican music.
  • Most ranchera singers had clear, polished voices and performed with a full band.
  • Vargas accompanied her raspy voice with just her guitar.
  • Dressed in men's trousers and a poncho, she would perform classic songs that had been written from a male point of view and were usually sung by men.
  • She altered those songs by performing them much more slowly than other ranchera singers did.
  • The slower tempo allowed her to express the emotional quality of the lyrics more fully.

According to the text, what is one way that Vargas differed from other ranchera singers?

A

She possessed a voice that was clear and polished.

B

She avoided singing songs written from a male point of view.

C

She disliked performing classic songs.

D

She altered classic songs by slowing them down.

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table

Text from PassageAnalysis
"In the 1960s, Chavela Vargas became an unlikely star in ranchera, a style of traditional Mexican music."
  • What it says: 1960s - Vargas = unlikely star in ranchera (trad. Mexican music)
  • What it does: Introduces the main subject and establishes her unexpected success
  • What it is: Opening context
"Most ranchera singers had clear, polished voices and performed with a full band."
  • What it says: Most ranchera singers = clear voices + full band
  • What it does: Establishes the typical/standard approach in ranchera
  • What it is: Background context
"But Vargas accompanied her raspy voice with just her guitar."
  • What it says: Vargas = raspy voice + only guitar
  • What it does: Contrasts Vargas with the standard we just learned
  • What it is: First key difference
"Dressed in men's trousers and a poncho, she would perform classic songs that had been written from a male point of view and were usually sung by men."
  • What it says: Vargas wore men's clothes + performed male POV songs (usually sung by men)
  • What it does: Provides additional details about how she differed from the norm
  • What it is: Second key difference
"She also altered those songs by performing them much more slowly than other ranchera singers did."
  • What it says: Vargas performed songs much slower than other singers
  • What it does: Presents another specific way she modified the traditional approach
  • What it is: Third key difference
"The slower tempo allowed her to express the emotional quality of the lyrics more fully."
  • What it says: Slow tempo = better emotional expression
  • What it does: Explains the purpose/benefit of her slower approach
  • What it is: Explanation/justification

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

What's being asked? The question asks us to identify one specific way that Vargas differed from other ranchera singers according to the text.

What type of answer do we need? From our passage analysis, we can see multiple differences: voice quality (raspy vs clear), accompaniment (guitar only vs full band), and tempo (slower vs normal speed).

Any limiting keywords? None specified.

Step 3: Prethink the Answer

  • Multiple differences between Vargas and other ranchera singers are presented in the passage
  • Voice quality difference: raspy vs clear, polished voices
  • Accompaniment difference: guitar only vs full band
  • Tempo difference: slower vs normal speed
  • Clothing and song choice differences also mentioned
  • Need to find which specific difference is correctly stated in the answer choices
Answer Choices Explained
A

She possessed a voice that was clear and polished.

✗ Incorrect

  • Claims Vargas had a clear, polished voice
  • This contradicts the passage which states she had a raspy voice
B

She avoided singing songs written from a male point of view.

✗ Incorrect

  • Says she avoided male point of view songs
  • The passage actually states she performed these songs
C

She disliked performing classic songs.

✗ Incorrect

  • Suggests she disliked classic songs
  • The passage never mentions her feelings about classic songs
D

She altered classic songs by slowing them down.

✓ Correct

  • States she performed songs more slowly than other singers
  • This directly matches the passage statement about her slower tempo
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