Explanations:
1. According to the passage, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act differs from Executive Order 11. 246 in that Title VII
(A) monitors employers to ensure minority representation
(B) assesses the work forces of government contractors
(C) eliminates discriminatory disparities in wages
(D) focuses on determining minority representation in government
(E) governs hiring practices in a wider variety of workplaces -->
The 1st line of the passage - "the United States Congress enacted Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting employers from making employment decisions on the basis of race." - clearly implies that employers were ordered not to discriminate based on race while hiring or providing employment. However, "Executive order 11. 246" does NOT state anything particularly about this option. 2. Which one of the following statements about schooling in the United States during the mid-1940s can be inferred from the passage?
(A) School expenditures decreased for white schools.
(B) The teachers in white schools had more time to cover material during a school year than did teachers in black schools. -->
The 2nd line of the 3rd para - "Although in the mid-1940s term length at black schools was approaching that in white schools" implies that curriculum length at black schools had long been shorter than that at white schools. And because of the increase in quality of black schools, their curriculum length increased but was still behind white school's one. (C) The basic curriculum of white schools was similar to the curriculum at black schools.
(D) White schools did not change substantially in quality.
(E) Although the salaries of teachers in black schools increased, they did not keep pace with the salaries of teachers in white schools.
3. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) explain why an argument about black economic progress is incomplete
(B) describe the impact of education on black economic progress
(C) refute an argument about the factors influencing black economic progress -->
1st line of 3rd para - "However, there is no direct evidence linking increased quality of underfunded segregated black schools to these improvements in earning potential.", 1st line of last para - "An additional problem for continuity theorists is how to explain the rapid acceleration of black economic progress in the United States after 1964.", and the last line of last para - "However, the fact that the law had its greatest effect in the South, in spite of the vigorous resistance of many Southern leaders, suggests its importance for black economic progress." clearly state that the intent of the author is to deny the claim of the proponents of the “continuous change” hypothesis mentioned in the first two lines of 2nd para.(D) describe black economic progress before and after the 1960s
(E) clarify the current view about the factors influencing black economic progress
4. Which one of the following best states the position of proponents of the “continuous change” hypothesis regarding the relationship between law and racial discrimination?
(A) Individuals cannot be forced by legal means to behave in nondiscriminatory ways.
(B) Discriminatory practices in education have been effectively altered by legal means.
(C) Legislation alone has had little effect on racially discriminatory behavior. -->
1st line of 2nd para - "Nonetheless, proponents of the “continuous change” hypothesis believe that United States federal law had a marginal impact on the economic progress made by black people in the United States between 1940 and 1975" - depicts the position of "continuous change" proponents.(D) Legislation is necessary, but not sufficient, to achieve changes in racial altitudes.
(E) Legislation can only exacerbate conflicts about racially discriminatory behavior.
5. The author concedes that “correlating federal intervention and the acceleration of black economic progress might be incorrect” (lines 58-60) primarily in order to
(A) strengthen the overall argument by anticipating an objection -->
The usage of the word "True" in 3rd line of last para - "True, correlating federal intervention and the acceleration of black economic progress might be incorrect." suggests that author has already anticipated and acknowledged this possibility. But author considers this only a possibility that might be one of the factor, as suggested in the the words "one COULD argue..." in the very next line. But using the fact presented in the last line - "However, the fact that the law had its greatest effect in the South, in spite of the vigorous resistance of many Southern leaders, suggests its importance for black economic progress.", author strengthens his claim that the concerned objection is just one of the minor factor, and certainly not the major one, which author throughout supported, behind the black economic progress during 1964.(B) introduce another factor that may have influenced black economic progress
(C) concede a point to the continuity theorists
(D) change the overall argument in light of the views of the continuity theorists
(E) introduce a discussion about the impact of federal intervention on discrimination
6. The “continuous change” hypothesis, as it is presented in the passage, can best be applied to which one of the following situations?
(A) Homes are found for many low-income families because the government funds a project to build subsidized housing in an economically depressed area.
(B) A depressed economy does not cause the closing of small businesses in a local community because the government provides special grants to aid these businesses.
(C) Unemployed people are able to obtain jobs because private contractors receive tax incentives for constructing office buildings in an area with a high unemployment rate.
(D) A housing shortage is remedied because the changing state of the economy permits private investors to finance construction in a depressed area. -->
This is the only option, among all of them, which suggests that people's problem has been remedied or solved WITHOUT government assistance or help. (E) A community’s sanitation needs are met because neighborhood organizations lobby aggressively for government assistance.