PSAT Writing and Language Practice Test 51: Hornsby

Questions 1-11 refer to the following information.

Hornsby

I struggle with the phenomenon of fame. 1 Perhaps, as Andy Warhol once quipped, we are all destined to occupy the spotlight for fifteen minutes. But what, I ask, of those whose notoriety is longer sustained? How can a Hollywood family of dullards and never-do-wells mesmerize the whole of a nation with a smash-hit reality TV series, while someone of actual import and accomplishment—say, a heroic police officer or selfless organ donor— 2 passes the entirety of his or her life in the thankless shadows? I don't wish to waste your time disputing the nature or purpose of celebrity, but pardon my tangential musing as I approach 3 my true question, where is the love, for Bruce Hornsby?

4 Powerfully, I now must tell you who Bruce Hornsby is, which further illustrates the criminality of his anonymity. A man so talented should require no introduction whatsoever. Alas, Hornsby is a singer, songwriter, and—in my esteemed opinion—as fine a piano player as Billy Joel (a man who requires no introduction, 5 my point about the arbitrary nature of fame having been thus solidified). When Bruce plays the piano, the sound is so wonderfully rich that your brain can't help but be puzzled at the thought of human hands moving so deftly over the keys. And when he sings, there is a molasses-sweet timbre that communicates volumes about the human condition. 6

Even more puzzling about Hornsby's lack of name recognition is that he has had a moderate amount of success throughout his career. Hornsby has won three Grammy awards (most notably in 1987 for best new artist), and his album The Way It Is attained multiplatinum status by selling more than two million units. His songs continue to receive radio airplay on 7 variety various stations, and he has toured and collaborated with such dynamos as The Grateful Dead, Don Henley, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, and Crosby Stills and Nash 8 (all of whom have succeeded him greatly in notoriety and recognition). Moreover, Bruce Hornsby's music has transcended genre; it is a little-known fact that hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur's mega-hit "Changes" was actually an adaptation of Hornsby's "The Way It Is."

9 Perhaps, like van Gogh's or F. Scott Fitzgerald's, Bruce Hornsby's legacy will grow with time. Perhaps society just isn't quite ready to award him his deserved credentials. 10 Consequently, I fear the opposite: now more than ever, we are a Justin Bieber and Eminem crowd. Bruce's time is past, and his just deserts will forever elude him as we continue to turn our attention to increasingly 11 lessening worthy recipients.