Question

The passage implies that the judging of literary works according to preconceived rules:

• A. characterizes examples of the worst neoclassical criticism
• B. is the primary distinguishing mark of the neoclassical critic
• C. was the primary neoclassical technique against which the Romantics rebelled
• D. is the underlying basis of much of Johnson's critical work

Answer 1

The correct option is A

characterizes examples of the worst neoclassical criticism

The answer to this question lies in the second paragraph. Look at these lines “Johnson was well aware, for example, of the sterility of literary criticism that is legalistic orpedantic, as was the case with the worst products of the neoclassical school” and these lines, “That this is a practice contrary to the rules of criticism”.
From these lines we can conclude that option (A) is the correct answer.