I felt this passage was very difficult for me in the sense that I could not understand the purpose behind certain sentences. I have tried to put down my understanding here in this post.
Gist of the passage:
First Paragraph: Discussing the work of Wing Tek Lum in the context of Asian American Poetry from Hawaii.
Second Paragraph: This paragraph discusses one poem from his volume of work. In this poem he says that while ties to the homeland are comforting and necessary,it is equally important to have a new identity.
Third Paragraph: The author further discusses Lum's work. He discusses Lum's closing poem which further describes the complex relation between heritage and local culture in determining one’s identity.
Final Paragraph: Homeland tradition is important but a healthy new sense of identity needs to be formed.1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage? (A) The poetry of Lum departs from other Asian American poetry from Hawaii in that it acknowledges its author’s heritage but also expresses the poet’s search for a new local identity.
This is the recurring theme in every paragraph.(B) Lum’s poetry is in part an expression of the conflict between a desire to participate in a community with shared traditions and values and a desire for individual success.
There is no expression of conflict in Lum's poetry according to the given passage.(C) Lum writes poetry that not only rejects features of the older literary tradition in which he participates but also rejects the popular literary traditions of Hawaiian writers.
Lum talks about older traditions/culture not older 'literary tradition'. In addition, Lum acknowledges his heritage and older traditions not rejects them.(D) The poetry of Lum illustrates the extent to which Asian American writers living in Hawaii have a different cultural perspective than those living in the continental U.S.
This is just mentioned in one paragraph. Not a repetitive theme.(E) Lum’s poetry is an unsuccessful attempt to manage the psychological burdens of reconciling a sense of tradition with a healthy sense of individual identity.
Success of Lum's poetry is out of scope of the passage.2. Given the information in the passage, which one of the following is Lum most likely to believe? When you don't have a specific line to refer to in the passage, elimination is the best strategy for such questions.
(A) Images in a poem should be explained in that poem so that their meaning will be widely understood.
Out of scope. Nothing about images is mentioned in the passage.(B) The experience of living away from one’s homeland is necessary for developing a healthy perspective on one’s cultural traditions.
Out of scope.(C) It is important to reconcile the values of individual achievement and enterprise with the desire to retain one’s cultural traditions.
This is directly mentioned in the passage. Quote:
strong cultural emphasis in the U.S.on individual drive and success that makes retaining a sense of homeland tradition difficult should be identified and responded to in ways that allow for a healthy new sense of identity to be formed.
(D) One’s identity is continually in transition and poetry is a way of developing a static identity.
Nothing of this sort is mentioned in the passage.(E) One cannot both seek a new identity and remain connected to one’s cultural traditions.
Quite opposite of what Lum was stating. Lum stated that it is important to acknowledge/remain connected to one's cultural traditions and still develop a new identity.3. The author of the passage uses the phrase “the flux within Hawaiian society” primarily in order toQuote:
The role of immigrants in this poem is significant in that,through their presence, Lum is able to refer both to the traditional culture of his ancestral homeland as well as to the flux within Hawaiian society that has been integral to its heterogeneity
(A) describe the social tension created by the mix of attitudes exhibited by citizens of Hawaii.
Lum never indicated in his poems that there is social tension created by the mix of attitudes.(B) deny that Hawaiian society is culturally distinct from that of the continental U.S.
Lum did mention that the culture of Continental U.S citizens is different from Hawaiian citizens but not in this context. (C) identify the
process by which immigrants learn to adapt to their new communities.
The context of this line is culture not process.(D) refer to the constant change to which the culture in Hawaii is subject due to its diverse population.
Yes, Right answer. Lum is showing a contrast between traditional culture and changing culture according to the quoted text above.(E) emphasize the changing attitudes of many immigrants to Hawaii toward their traditional cultural norms.
Lum never mentioned that there is a change in attitude of many immigrants to Hawaii toward their traditional cultural norms. He just mentioned that traditional culture should be acknowledged.4. According to the passage,some Asian American literature from Hawaii has been characterized as which one of the following?
Quote:
Asian American poetry from Hawaii is generally characterizable in one of two ways: either as portraying a model multicultural paradise,or as exemplifying familiar Asian American literary themes such as generational conflict
(A) inimical to the process of developing a local sensibility.
Not either of the ways.(B) centered on the individual’s drive to succeed.
Not either of the ways.(C) concerned with conflicts between different age groups.
Correct answer. This option is talking about generational conflict.(D) focused primarily on retaining ties to one’s homeland.
Not either of the ways. (E) tied to a search for a new sense of family in a new land.
Not either of the ways.5. The author of the passage describes Expounding the Doubtful Points as “striking” primarily in order toQuote:
In this light,the recent work of Wing Tek Lum in Expounding the Doubtful Points is striking for its demand to be understood on its own terms.
Here striking is used in a positive tone similar to -
stressing for its demand to be understood....(A) underscore the forceful and contentious tone of the work.
Negative tone.(B) indicate that the work has not been properly analyzed by literary critics
Negative tone.(C) stress the radical difference between this work and Lum’s earlier work.
Lum's earlier work was not discussed in the entirety of the passage.(D) emphasize the differences between this work and that of other Asian American poets from Hawaii.
Positive tone. 'Striking-Emphasizing' similar in meaning.(E) highlight the innovative nature of Lum’s experiments with poetic form.
Innovative nature of Lum's poetic form was never discussed in the passage. out of scope.6. With which one of the following statements regarding Lum’s poetry would the author of the passage be most likely to agree? (A) It cannot be used to support any specific political ideology.
Political ideology was never mentioned in the passage. Out of scope.(B) It is an elegant demonstration of the poet’s appreciation of the stylistic contributions of his literary forebears.
Stylistic contributions of literary forebears was never discussed. Out of scope.(C) It is most fruitfully understood as a meditation on the choice between new and old that confronts any human being in any culture.
This statement is general and talks about all human beings and the paragraph speaks about Asian Americans in Hawaii.(D) It conveys thoughtful assessments of both his ancestral homeland tradition and the culture in which he is attempting to build a new identity.
Mainpoint of the passage. Author will agree with this.(E) It conveys Lum’s antipathy toward tradition by juxtaposing traditional and nontraditional images.
Lum has no aversion towards tradition. 
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Updated on: 06 Sep 2019, 09:03
35%
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(03:25) wrong 
