Test - GRE-Reading Comprehension

1

When he published Black Reconstruction in 1935, W.E.B. Du Bois challenged Americans to see the years following the Civil War as a counterpoint to the Jim Crow era in the 20th century. During Reconstruction, the nation took steps to ensure that Black Americans, many of them formerly enslaved, could exercise rights once available to White Americans only. As Black men voted, opposition surged. Reconstruction was a brief experiment, lasting less than 15 years. Still, Du Bois explained how formerly enslaved people were pivotal actors during that first attempt to build an interracial democracy. Suppression of those efforts, he argued, foretold the lynchings, disenfranchisement and segregation that troubled the Jim Crow South.

Black Reconstruction, published against a backdrop of violence and segregation, met with a vitriolic reception. White writers leveled sharp-tongued critiques. Black journalists assessed the work favorably but with reservations. Immediately after its publication, the book was mostly disdained or simply ignored. University of Chicago historian Avery Craven issued an unvarnished denouncement of Du Bois' book in January 1936. Craven charged that Du Bois wrote Black Reconstruction out of a festering in his soul rather than from his graduate training at the University of Berlin and at Harvard, and his authorship of more than a dozen previous books. Craven characterized Black Reconstruction as "history re-written," to malign it as an illegitimate analysis. Du Bois, he asserted, cherry-picked his evidence. Du Bois himself openly conceded that he was a Black historian subjected to Jim Crow restrictions in the academy and in the archives. When Du Bois did plumb the documentary record, he turned to evidence that Craven deemed out of bounds.

However, with the rise of the modern civil rights movement, Black Reconstruction became a staple in scholarly debates. Du Bois's work maintains an unshakable relevance to understanding what some have termed the Second American Revolution, a brief period when the nation worked toward a multiracial democracy.

Which of the following can probably be implied about the purpose of Du Bois' Black Reconstruction?

Select one answer choice from the given options.

2

When he published Black Reconstruction in 1935, W.E.B. Du Bois challenged Americans to see the years following the Civil War as a counterpoint to the Jim Crow era in the 20th century. During Reconstruction, the nation took steps to ensure that Black Americans, many of them formerly enslaved, could exercise rights once available to White Americans only. As Black men voted, opposition surged. Reconstruction was a brief experiment, lasting less than 15 years. Still, Du Bois explained how formerly enslaved people were pivotal actors during that first attempt to build an interracial democracy. Suppression of those efforts, he argued, foretold the lynchings, disenfranchisement and segregation that troubled the Jim Crow South.

Black Reconstruction, published against a backdrop of violence and segregation, met with a vitriolic reception. White writers leveled sharp-tongued critiques. Black journalists assessed the work favorably but with reservations. Immediately after its publication, the book was mostly disdained or simply ignored. University of Chicago historian Avery Craven issued an unvarnished denouncement of Du Bois' book in January 1936. Craven charged that Du Bois wrote Black Reconstruction out of a festering in his soul rather than from his graduate training at the University of Berlin and at Harvard, and his authorship of more than a dozen previous books. Craven characterized Black Reconstruction as "history re-written," to malign it as an illegitimate analysis. Du Bois, he asserted, cherry-picked his evidence. Du Bois himself openly conceded that he was a Black historian subjected to Jim Crow restrictions in the academy and in the archives. When Du Bois did plumb the documentary record, he turned to evidence that Craven deemed out of bounds.

However, with the rise of the modern civil rights movement, Black Reconstruction became a staple in scholarly debates. Du Bois's work maintains an unshakable relevance to understanding what some have termed the Second American Revolution, a brief period when the nation worked toward a multiracial democracy.

Which of the following about Du Bois' book can be correctly inferred from its reception by American intelligentsia?

It reclaimed its credit with the rise of America's second attempt towards a multiracial democracy.

It failed to find favor with both the White and Black writers and journalists, though for different reasons.

It was alleged to provide passage to Du Bois' vitriol than be acclaimed as a piece of professional authorship.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

3

When he published Black Reconstruction in 1935, W.E.B. Du Bois challenged Americans to see the years following the Civil War as a counterpoint to the Jim Crow era in the 20th century. During Reconstruction, the nation took steps to ensure that Black Americans, many of them formerly enslaved, could exercise rights once available to White Americans only. As Black men voted, opposition surged. Reconstruction was a brief experiment, lasting less than 15 years. Still, Du Bois explained how formerly enslaved people were pivotal actors during that first attempt to build an interracial democracy. Suppression of those efforts, he argued, foretold the lynchings, disenfranchisement and segregation that troubled the Jim Crow South.

Black Reconstruction, published against a backdrop of violence and segregation, met with a vitriolic reception. White writers leveled sharp-tongued critiques. Black journalists assessed the work favorably but with reservations. Immediately after its publication, the book was mostly disdained or simply ignored. University of Chicago historian Avery Craven issued an unvarnished denouncement of Du Bois' book in January 1936. Craven charged that Du Bois wrote Black Reconstruction out of a festering in his soul rather than from his graduate training at the University of Berlin and at Harvard, and his authorship of more than a dozen previous books. Craven characterized Black Reconstruction as "history re-written," to malign it as an illegitimate analysis. Du Bois, he asserted, cherry-picked his evidence. Du Bois himself openly conceded that he was a Black historian subjected to Jim Crow restrictions in the academy and in the archives. When Du Bois did plumb the documentary record, he turned to evidence that Craven deemed out of bounds.

However, with the rise of the modern civil rights movement, Black Reconstruction became a staple in scholarly debates. Du Bois's work maintains an unshakable relevance to understanding what some have termed the Second American Revolution, a brief period when the nation worked toward a multiracial democracy.

Which of the following can be implied about Craven's understanding of Black Reconstruction from the passage?

He believed that Du Bois had ignored his graduate training in book-writing while penning down his work.

He found the book to be unfairly distorted in its analysis which either overreached for evidence or excluded it.

He identified the motivation behind the book to be ill-conceived and born out of malice for Black people.

He argued that given the book's shortcomings, it failed to evoke historiographic debates of the time.

He found Du Bois' work lacking in the use of historical evidence that Craven had recommended for inclusion.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

4

When he published Black Reconstruction in 1935, W.E.B. Du Bois challenged Americans to see the years following the Civil War as a counterpoint to the Jim Crow era in the 20th century. During Reconstruction, the nation took steps to ensure that Black Americans, many of them formerly enslaved, could exercise rights once available to White Americans only. As Black men voted, opposition surged. Reconstruction was a brief experiment, lasting less than 15 years. Still, Du Bois explained how formerly enslaved people were pivotal actors during that first attempt to build an interracial democracy. Suppression of those efforts, he argued, foretold the lynchings, disenfranchisement and segregation that troubled the Jim Crow South.

Black Reconstruction, published against a backdrop of violence and segregation, met with a vitriolic reception. White writers leveled sharp-tongued critiques. Black journalists assessed the work favorably but with reservations. Immediately after its publication, the book was mostly disdained or simply ignored. University of Chicago historian Avery Craven issued an unvarnished denouncement of Du Bois' book in January 1936. Craven charged that Du Bois wrote Black Reconstruction out of a festering in his soul rather than from his graduate training at the University of Berlin and at Harvard, and his authorship of more than a dozen previous books. Craven characterized Black Reconstruction as "history re-written," to malign it as an illegitimate analysis. Du Bois, he asserted, cherry-picked his evidence. Du Bois himself openly conceded that he was a Black historian subjected to Jim Crow restrictions in the academy and in the archives. When Du Bois did plumb the documentary record, he turned to evidence that Craven deemed out of bounds.

However, with the rise of the modern civil rights movement, Black Reconstruction became a staple in scholarly debates. Du Bois's work maintains an unshakable relevance to understanding what some have termed the Second American Revolution, a brief period when the nation worked toward a multiracial democracy.

Which of the following best describes the function of the highlighted sentence in the context of the passage as a whole?

It served Craven's purpose in reinforcing his charge that Du Bois' work was unlawful.

It highlighted the eclectic nature of Du Bois' work that even included Marxist interpretations.

It lent credence to Craven's charge about the illegitimate sources of data referenced in his work.

It served Craven's purpose in substantiating Du Bois' ineptness in scouting for sources relevant to his work.

It highlighted the insistence of Craven in depriving Du Bois' work of any authorial legitimacy.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

5

History, if viewed as a repository not merely of anecdotes or chronology, could produce a decisive transformation in the image of science by which we are now possessed. That image has previously been drawn, even by scientists themselves, mainly from the study of finished scientific achievements as these are recorded in the classics and, more recently, in the textbooks from which each new scientific generation learns to practice its trade.

Which of the following best summarizes the above paragraph?

Scientific achievements are recorded in classics and textbooks.

History of science can be inferred from finished scientific achievement.

Different ways of looking at history can produce altogether different knowledge.

Textbooks may be biased.

Historical data continue to be sought and scrutinized mainly to answer questions posed by the unhistorical stereotype.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

6

History, if viewed as a repository not merely of anecdotes or chronology, could produce a decisive transformation in the image of science by which we are now possessed. That image has previously been drawn, even by scientists themselves, mainly from the study of finished scientific achievements as these are recorded in the classics and, more recently, in the textbooks from which each new scientific generation learns to practice its trade.

Which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree with?

History of science presents a scientific way of looking at scientific developments and thus contributes to progress in science.

History of science should contain only the chronology of the scientific achievements.

More number of scientific theories results in more number of publications, which benefits publishers.

History of science should purposely present different images of science to people.

History of science can present multiple interpretations to people regarding the process of scientific developments.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

7

The claim that Eskimo words for snow (specifically Yupik and Inuit words) are unusually numerous, particularly in contrast to English, is often used to support the controversial linguistic-relativity hypothesis or "Whorfianism". Opposition to the contention, though voluminous, is far more logical. Giving an example of an insect and an airplane meaning the same, and being addressed by the same name in an isolated African tribal culture which is unfamiliar with the concept of an airplane, naysayers to the theory contend that the Eskimos might have over ten words for snow, but for most of us in the English speaking world, not exposed to snow and ice on the scale that an Eskimo is, snow, whether falling, or already on the ground, or being driven by the wind, or being compressed by its own weight to become hard-packed ice, remains the same. They also contend that while one of the main reasons for rampant corruption in many cultures was thought to be the lack of a word conveying 'integrity' in the language of those cultures, careful perusal of the language has revealed that while there might not be a word which conveys integrity, there are other substitute words that convey pretty much the same meaning.

Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?

Limited vocabulary is reflective of challenged cognitive development.

Linguistic limitations form the root cause of behavioral biases among the speakers.

Language, at best, plays but a minor role in influencing the perception of the user.

Select one answer choice from the given options.

8

The claim that Eskimo words for snow (specifically Yupik and Inuit words) are unusually numerous, particularly in contrast to English, is often used to support the controversial linguistic-relativity hypothesis or "Whorfianism". Opposition to the contention, though voluminous, is far more logical. Giving an example of an insect and an airplane meaning the same, and being addressed by the same name in an isolated African tribal culture which is unfamiliar with the concept of an airplane, naysayers to the theory contend that the Eskimos might have over ten words for snow, but for most of us in the English speaking world, not exposed to snow and ice on the scale that an Eskimo is, snow, whether falling, or already on the ground, or being driven by the wind, or being compressed by its own weight to become hard-packed ice, remains the same. They also contend that while one of the main reasons for rampant corruption in many cultures was thought to be the lack of a word conveying 'integrity' in the language of those cultures, careful perusal of the language has revealed that while there might not be a word which conveys integrity, there are other substitute words that convey pretty much the same meaning.

The author is primarily concerned with

proving that Eskimos' fascination with snow stems from their environment

illustrating that linguistic development can vary between extremes even in relatively isolated tribes and cultures

showing that cognitive disruption cannot be predicted on the basis of linguistic sparseness

proving that the concept of integrity remains the same even when linguistic barriers intervene

showing that a culture acts in good faith when turning a blind eye to some excesses

Number	Status	Marked
1	Not answered
2	Not answered
3	Not answered
4	Not answered
5	Not answered
6	Not answered
7	Not answered
8	Not answered

GRE-Reading Comprehension - 9