During the 1990s, the study of history witnessed both a dramatic

Question

Passage A

During the 1990s, the study of history witnessed
both a dramatic integration of the study of women's
history into the historical mainstream and a transition
from the subject of women to the issue of gender.
  (5)   Women as individuals receded into the background,
and something more abstract called gender relations
came to the fore. Since gender relations involved
turning to an exploration of the social systems that
underlay the relationships of men and women, the shift
  (10)   seemed to many historians to be a retreat from the
effort to uncover the history of women per se. The new
work took several forms: Articles about men evaluated
the role of masculinity in shaping thought and action,
and articles about women gave way to explorations of
  (15)   how an imagined domesticity, or separate sphere for
women, shaped culture and politics.

This scholarship demonstrates the explanatory
potential embedded in gender, but it also reveals why
the topic "women" is now so often dismissed as too
  (20)   narrow and particular a category to illuminate
historical processes. Where the study of the history of
women is seen today as having celebratory contentits 
effort is to find our lost ancestors and restore them
to a place in our memories-that of gender offers an
  (25)   analytic framework within which to analyze social
and political structures.

And yet I am left to wonder what we have lost as
we turn our attention to gender. I share the suspicion
of many of my colleagues that gender obscures as
  (30)   much as it reveals: that in focusing on underlying
structures, we overlook the particular ways in which
individual women engaged their worlds.

Passage B

Part of the Roman emperor Augustus's response
to the disorder and disharmony of the Triumviral Wars
  (35)   (32-30 B.C.E.) was to promote laws aimed at restoring
old-fashioned Roman morality. Augustus presented
the peace and stability of Rome as resting upon the
integrity of the Roman family, and he paid particular
attention to relocating women in this domestic context
  (40)   as wives and mothers. Among the laws passed were
the marital laws of 19- 18 B.C.E. and 9 C.E. that
penalized adultery and rewarded bearers of legitimate
children.

When Augustus thereby rooted Roman prosperity
  (45)   and peace in the Roman family, he drew particular
attention to women as significant participants in the
system: their good behavior was partly responsible for
the health of the state. Thus in this period, the gender
roles assigned to women were becoming at once more
  (50)   constrained but also more visible and more politicized.
The success and significance of this familial language
became clear in 2 B.C.E. when Augustus articulated his
unusual position in the state by accepting the title
Pater Patriae, "Father of the Fatherland."

(55)   Within such a sociopolitical setting, it should
occasion no surprise that Augustan-period artists drew
on the iconography of the household in imagining the
empire. Images of women concisely expressed
Augustus's imperial project, a control of domestic
  (60)   space made visible in an old-fashioned style making
the present look like the idealized past.    1 
 1. Which one of the following is a central topic in each passage?

(A) the decline of historical research on individual women
(B) the role of gender in shaping politics and culture
(C) the creation of an imagined domesticity in ancient Rome
(D) the function of masculinity in history
(E) the "celebratory" goals of women's history

2 
 2. The author of passage A would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements regarding the type of historical analysis found in passage B?

(A) It indicates that ancient conceptions of gender were radically different from our own modern ones.
(B) It focuses on the Roman conception of femininity but neglects to take into account the equally important role of masculinity.
(C) It fails to bring to light any substantive information about how particular Roman women lived during the reign of Augustus.
(D) It demonstrates that domesticity played a larger role in the politics of ancient Rome than it has played in the politics of recent history.
(E) It succeeds in revealing portions of Augustus's marital laws of which historians were not previously aware.

3 
 3. According to passage A, during the 1990s the focus in the study of women's history shifted to which one of the following?

(A) investigating the social systems that shaped the interactions of men and women
(B) bringing attention to and clarifying the previously ignored contributions of women to the social order
(C) revealing the gender biases that distorted traditional historical scholarship
(D) criticizing earlier generations of historians for their lack of attention to women
(E) documenting shifts in the conception of domesticity as part of social interaction

4 
 4. Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between passage A and passage B?

(A) Passage A endorses a trend in the study of social history as that trend is reflected in passage B.
(B) Passage A criticizes passage B for failing to take all of the available evidence into account in passage B's analysis.
(C) Passage A offers an analysis that is similar to that in passage B in both the evidence used and the conclusions drawn.
(D) Passage A discusses the strengths and weaknesses of a trend in scholarship that is exemplified by passage B.
(E) Passage A advances an argument that is parallel in general terms to that in passage B, though different frames of reference are used.

5 
 5. The summary given in passage B (lines 36--43) most closely corresponds to which one of the following approaches to historical analysis described in passage A?

(A) seeking to uncover the history of women per se
(B) exploring how a concept of domesticity shapes culture and politics
(C) trying to rediscover and honor lost ancestors
(D) evaluating the role of masculinity in regulating thought and action
(E) arguing that gender analysis obscures as much as it reveals

6 
 6. The author of passage A would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about passage B?

(A) It demonstrates that the integration of women's history into the historical mainstream is far from complete.
(B) It indicates why historians of women have been justified in abandoning the effort to uncover the lives of individual women.
(C) It illustrates a current trend in historical scholarship toward increased attention to the political influence of women.
(D) It suggests that much recent historical scholarship focusing on women fails to recognize the significance of gender. 
(E) It shows how the analytical tool of gender can be successfully used to shed light on politics and culture.

vedha0 · Answer

question 1 explanation

A is incorrect. the passages talk about historical research on women has evolved, with examples.
B sounds good. fits theme of both passages. lets hold on to B.
C is incorrect. Augustus didn't create an imagined domesticity. infact he implemented domesticity in order to restore the glory of rome. further this option talks only about passage B. so, its not the answer we are looking for.
D and E are incorrect and do not make sense.

therefore answer is B

PS - 6 questions is too tough to do in one post and too long to do in one sitting. i will add one post per question, one by one.

vedha0 · Answer

question 2 explanation

The author of passage A would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements regarding the type of historical analysis found in passage B?

(A) talks about gender notions. But thats not author A's area of focus. So incorrect. 
(B) talks whether masculinity was given appropriate focus. Again, not a concern of point A. so incorrect.
(C) is correct. Author A does feel that that in focusing on underlying structures, the particular ways in which individual women engaged their worlds was overlooked. Historical analysis of passage B focuses on underlying structures during the rule of augustus.
(D) seems correct , but this does seem like something author A will agree with. Author A was concerned about how articles on women were about imagined domesticity. C sounds like a better option, so we stick with it.
(E) is incorrect. nowhere is it mentioned whether historians were aware of the marital laws. out of scope.

vedha0 · Answer

question 3 explanation

3. According to passage A, during the 1990s the focus in the study of women's history shifted to which one of the following?

(A) is right. lines 5-10 convey that. so hold on to A. 
(B) is incorrect. previous contributions weren't ignored. they were the area of study previously. now the shift is happening towards integrating. on similar lines, (D) is also wrong.
(C) and (E) do not have support from the passage in any way.

So A is the answer.

vedha0 · Answer

question 4 explanation

4. Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between passage A and passage B?

passage A does endorse a trend but its not reflected in passage B. neither does passage A criticize passage B. so A and B are wrong. 
Passage B does not offer an analysis or advance an argument in different frame of reference. so C and E are wrong.
(D) says a scholarships strengths and weaknesses are discussed in A and that is exemplified by B. perfect. this is our answer.

vedha0 · Answer

question 5 explanation

5. The summary given in passage B (lines 36--43) most closely corresponds to which one of the following approaches to historical analysis described in passage A?

lines 36 - 43 in passage B talk about how domesticity played a role in shaping the culture and politics in the reign of the roman emperor Augustus.
C and D are irrelevant. so eliminate them.
Neither there is an effort to uncover history of women nor there is a discussion on what gender analysis does. so eliminate A, E
B hits at the bulls eye. so answer is B.

vedha0 · Answer

question 6 explanation

6. The author of passage A would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about passage B?

Author of passage A's concern was that there is shift of focus from women's history to a more integrated one. Further lives of individual women became a secondary priority in this landscape but not abandoned. therefore A and B are wrong.
Further Author A talks about how trend in historical scholarship trends towards attention to BOTH political and cultural influence on the basis of using gender as an analytical tool. so C and D are wrong while E hits it right at the bulls eyes. so the answer is E.

gmatstuff123 · Answer

Does GMAT sometimes follow this format of two passages with questions both from each passage and from the the link between the two?
This is the first time I am encountering such a question.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

This passage belongs to LSAT, This is not a typically GMAT Passage and there are rare chances you will get the passage on same style during the exam but as this is from official LSAT it is good for practice purpose indeed better than stuff from many private prep companies.

During the 1990s, the study of history witnessed both a dramatic

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During the 1990s, the study of history witnessed both a dramatic

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