In the early 1950's, historians who studied preindustrial Europe

Question

In the early 1950's, historians who studied preindustrial Europe (which we may define here as Europe in the period from roughly 1300 to 1800) began, for the first time in large numbers, to investigate more of the preindustrial European population than the 2 or 3 percent who comprised the political and social elite: the kings, generals, judges, nobles, bishops, and local magnates who had hitherto usually filled history books. One difficulty, however, was that few of the remaining 97 percent recorded their thoughts or had them chronicled by contemporaries. Faced with this situation, many historians based their investigations on the only records that seemed to exist: birth, marriage, and death records. As a result, much of the early work on the nonelite was aridly statistical in nature; reducing the vast majority of the population to a set of numbers was hardly more enlightening than ignoring them altogether. Historians still did not know what these people thought or felt.

One way out of this dilemma was to turn to the records of legal courts, for here the voices of the nonelite can most often be heard, as witnesses, plaintiffs, and defendants. These documents have acted as "a point of entry into the mental world of the poor." Historians such as Le Roy Ladurie have used the documents to extract case histories, which have illuminated the attitudes of different social groups (these attitudes include, but are not confined to, attitudes toward crime and the law) and have revealed how the authorities administered justice. It has been societies that have had a developed police system and practiced Roman law, with i.ts written depositions, whose court records have yielded the most data to historians. In Anglo-Saxon countries hardly any of these benefits obtain, but it has still been possible to glean information from the study of legal documents.

The extraction of case histories is not, however, the only use to which court records may be put. Historians who study preindustrial Europe have used the records to establish a series of categories 9f crime and to quantify indictments that were issued' over a given number of years. This use of the records does yield some information about the nonelite, but this information gives us little insight into the mental lives of the nonelite. We also know that the number of indictments in preindustrial Europe bears little relation to the number of actual criminal acts, and we strongly suspect that the relationship has varied widely over time. In addition, aggregate population estimates are very shaky, which makes it difficult for historians to compare rates of crime per thousand in one decade of the preindustrial period with rates in another decade. Given these inadequacies, it is clear why the case history use of court records is to be preferred.   1 
 1. The author suggests that, before the early 1950's, most historians who studied preindustrial Europe did which of the following?

(A) Failed to make distinctions among members of the preindustrial European political and social elite.
(B) Used investigatory methods that were almost exclusively statistical in nature.
(C) Inaccurately estimated the influence of the preindustrial European political and social elite. 
(D) Confined their work to a narrow range of the preindustrial European population.
(E) Tended to rely heavily on birth, marriage, and death records.

2 
 2. According to the passage, the case histories extracted by historians have

(A) scarcely illuminated the attitudes of the political and social elite 
(B) indicated the manner in which those in power apportioned justice 
(C) focused almost entirely on the thoughts and feelings of different social groups toward crime and the law 
(D) been considered the first kind of historical writing that utilized the records of legal courts 
(E) been based for the most part on the trial testimony of police and other legal authorities

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that much of the early work by historians on the European nonelite of the preindustrial period might have been more illuminating if these historians had

(A) used different methods of statistical analysis to investigate the nonelite 
(B) been more successful in identifying the attitudes of civil authorities, especially those who administered justice, toward the nonelite 
(C) been able to draw on more accounts, written by contemporaries of the nonelite, that described what this nonelite thought 
(D) relied more heavily on the personal records left by members of the European political and social elite who lived during the period in question 
(E) been more willing to base their research on the birth, marriage, and death records of the nonelite

4 
 4. The author mentions  Le Roy Ladurie  in order to

(A) give an example of a historian who has made one kind of use of court records 
(B) cite a historian who has based case histories on the birth, marriage, and death records of the nonelite 
(C) identify the author of the quotation cited in the previous sentence 
(D) gain authoritative support for the view that the case history approach is the most fruitful approach to court records 
(E) point out the first historian to realize the value of court records in illuminating the beliefs and values of the nonelite

5 
 5. According to the passage, which of the following is true of indictments for crime in Europe in the preindustrial period?

(A) They have, in terms of their numbers, remained relatively constant over time. 
(B) They give the historian important information about the mental lives of those indicted. 
(C) They are not a particularly accurate indication of the extent of actual criminal activity. 
(D) Their importance to historians of the nonelite has been generally overestimated. 
(E) Their problematic relationship to actual crime has not been acknowledged by most historians.

6 
 6. It can be inferred from the passage that a historian who wished to compare crime rates per thousand in a European city in one decade of the fifteenth century with crime rates in another decade of that century would probably be most aided by better information about which of the following?

(A) The causes of unrest in the city during the two decades 
(B) The aggregate number of indictments in the city nearest to the city under investigation during the two decades 
(C) The number of people who lived in the city during each of the decades under investigation 
(D) The mental attitudes of criminals in the city, including their feelings about authority, during each of the decades under investigation 
(E) The possibilities for a member of the city's nonelite to become a member of the political and social elite during the two decades

7 
 7. The passage would be most likely to appear as part of

(A) a book review summarizing the achievements of historians of the European aristocracy 
(B) an essay describing trends in the practice of writing history 
(C) a textbook on the application of statistical methods in the social sciences 
(D) a report to the historical profession on the work of early-twentieth-century historians 
(E) an article urging the adoption of historical methods by the legal profession

deepshikha12 · Answer

1. The author suggests that, before the early 1950's, most historians who studied pre-industrial Europe did which of the following?

Refer 1st line: In the early 1950's, historians who studied preindustrial Europe began, for the  1st time  in large numbers, to in vestigate more of the preindustrial European population  than the 2 or 3 percent who comprised the political and social elite:

Option (D) Confined their work to a narrow range of the preindustrial European population.

2. According to the passage, the case histories extracted by historians have

Refer 2nd para, line" Historians such as Le Roy Ladurie have used the documents to extract case histories, which have illuminated the attitudes of different social groups (these attitudes include, but are not confined to, attitudes toward crime and the law) and have revealed how the authorities administered justice."

(A) scarcely illuminated the attitudes of the political and social elite - not relevant 
(B) indicated the manner in which those in power apportioned justice - yes given in para
(C) focused  almost entirely on the thoughts and feelings  of different social groups toward crime and the law - almost entirely word is wrong. 
(D) been considered the first kind of historical writing that utilized the records of legal courts - not relevant
(E) been based for the most part on the trial testimony of police and other legal authorities - not relevant

3. It can be inferred from the passage that much of the early work by historians on the European nonelite of the preindustrial period might have been more illuminating if these historians had 
refer 1st para, last line "Historians still did not know what these people thought or felt. " - so anything which adds to inshight on thought process will be the answer. 
Option (C) been able to draw on more accounts, written by contemporaries of the nonelite, that described what this nonelite thought

4. The author mentions Le Roy Ladurie in order to

Refer 1st line of 2nd para, to resolve the dilemma people studied the court record. so the historian is one of those people who studied the record. Option a.

(A) give an example of a historian who has made one kind of use of court records

5. According to the passage, which of the following is true of indictments for crime in Europe in the preindustrial period?

Refer 3rd para , line "We also know that the number of indictments in preindustrial Europe bears little relation to the number of actual criminal acts, and we strongly suspect that the relationship has varied widely over time"

so option (C) They are not a particularly accurate indication of the extent of actual criminal activity.

6. It can be inferred from the passage that a historian who wished to compare crime rates per thousand in a European city in one decade of the fifteenth century with crime rates in another decade of that century would probably be most aided by better information about which of the following?

Refer para 1, line "Faced with this situation, many historians based their investigations on the only records that seemed to exist: birth, marriage, and death records. .... reducing the vast majority of the population to a set of numbers " so that mean they knew the number of people due to the records. what the did not know was what general public thoughts were ..

So option (C) The number of people who lived in the city during each of the decades under investigation

7. The passage would be most likely to appear as part of 
POE: 
(A) a book review summarizing the achievements of historians of the European aristocracy - "achievements" - not really. 
(B) an essay describing trends in the practice of writing history - may be
(C) a textbook on the application of statistical methods in the social sciences - author only mentioned in 1st para that stats were avilable but the para is more to do with how the historian went on to study the criminal record - in consistent 
(D) a report to the historical profession on the work of early-twentieth-century historians - in consistent, since all of these methods were non conclusive.
(E) an article urging the adoption of historical methods by the legal profession - "urging the adoption" - no !

shridhar786 · Answer

16 minutes 12 sec .....5 correct 2 wrong q 3 & 7

1. The author suggests that, before the early 1950's, most historians who studied preindustrial Europe did which of the following?

(A) Failed to make distinctions among members of the preindustrial European political and social elite  (wrong) 
not mentioned in the passage
.
(B) Used investigatory methods that were almost exclusively statistical in nature. (wrong)

(C) Inaccurately estimated the influence of the preindustrial European political and social elite. (wrong) 
 
(D) Confined their work to a narrow range of the preindustrial European population. ( correct) 
 historians began, for the first time in large numbers, to investigate more of the preindustrial European population than the 2 or 3 percent who comprised the political and social elite  from this we can infer that previously historians investigate 2 or 3 percent political and social elite.

(E) Tended to rely heavily on birth, marriage, and death records. (wrong) 
this is mentioned in the passage but this is not the infrence ....inference is something which is not mentioned in the passage but can be proved from the passage to be true
that is what option (D) is doing

2. According to the passage, the case histories extracted by historians have

(A) scarcely illuminated the attitudes of the political and social elite  (wrong) 
case histories, which have illuminated the attitudes of different  social groups  (these attitudes include, but are not confined to, attitudes toward crime and the law) and have revealed how the authorities administered justice. mentioned in para 2 (illuminated the attitudes of social groups not political group)
 
(B) indicated the manner in which those in power apportioned justice  (correct) 
case histories, which have illuminated the attitudes of different social groups (these attitudes include, but are not confined to, attitudes toward crime and the law) and  have revealed how the authorities administered justice

(C) focused almost entirely on the thoughts and feelings of different social groups toward crime and the law  (wrong) 
case histories, which have illuminated the attitudes of different social groups  (these attitudes include, but are not confined to, attitudes toward crime and the law)  and have revealed how the authorities administered justice. (these attitudes were not confined to crime and the law)
 
(D) been considered  the first kind  of historical writing that utilized the records of legal courts  (wrong) 
not mentioned in the passage
 
(E) been based for the most part on the trial testimony of police and other legal authorities  (wrong) 
not mentioned in the passage

4. The author mentions Le Roy Ladurie in order to

(A) give an example of a historian who has made one kind of use of court records  (correct) 
One way out of this dilemma was to turn to the records of legal courts, for here the voices of the nonelite can most often be heard, as witnesses, plaintiffs, and defendants. These documents have acted as "a point of entry into the mental world of the poor."  Historians such as Le Roy Ladurie have used the documents to extract case histories 
 
(B) cite a historian who has based case histories on the birth, marriage, and death records of the nonelite  (wrong) 
no the birth, marriage, and death records of the nonelite were used by historians in 1950 
 
(C) identify the author of the quotation cited in the previous sentence  (wrong)

(D) gain authoritative support for the view that the case history approach is  the most fruitful  approach to court records (wrong)

(E) point out  the first historian  to realize the value of court records in illuminating the beliefs and values of the nonelite  (wrong)   not mentioned in the passage

5. According to the passage, which of the following is true of indictments for crime in Europe in the preindustrial period?

(A) They have, in terms of their numbers, remained relatively constant over time. (wrong) 
not mentioned in the passage
 
(B) They give the historian important information about the mental lives of those indicted.  (wrong) 
This use of the records does yield some information about the nonelite,  but this information gives us little insight into the mental lives of the nonelite

(C) They are not a particularly accurate indication of the extent of actual criminal activity. (correct) 
  We also know that the number of indictments in preindustrial Europe bears little relation to the number of actual criminal acts

(D) Their importance to historians of the nonelite has been generally overestimated. (wrong) 
not mentioned on the passage
 
(E) Their problematic relationship to actual crime has not been acknowledged by most historians.  (wrong) 
not, mentioned in the passage

6. It can be inferred from the passage that a historian who wished to compare crime rates per thousand in a European city in one decade of the fifteenth century with crime rates in another decade of that century would probably be most aided by better information about which of the following?

(A) The causes of unrest in the city during the two decades  (wrong) 
not mentioned in the passage

(B) The aggregate number of indictments in the city nearest to the city under investigation during the two decades  (wrong) 
We also know that the number of indictments in preindustrial Europe bears little relation to the number of actual criminal acts
mentioned in 3rd para

(C) The number of people who lived in the city during each of the decades under investigation  (correct) 
 In addition, aggregate population estimates are very shaky, which makes it difficult for historians to compare rates of crime per thousand in one decade of the preindustrial period with rates in another decade.  from this we can clearly infer that the actual number of people will be helpful
 
(D) The mental attitudes of criminals in the city, including their feelings about authority, during each of the decades under investigation  (wrong) 
 
(E) The possibilities for a member of the city's nonelite to become a member of the political and social elite during the two decades (wrong) 
  not mentioned in the passage

sonalchhajed2019 · Answer

Is this an Official Passage?

Sajjad1994 ,  bb  I have exhausted all the Official GMAT Prep RC questions. Can you suggest other reliable sources? And for most of the Official LSAT and Official GRE Questions, I do not see the explanations posted on the group.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

This is the Official GRE Passage from GRE OG Big Book

The second best practice resource is LSAT RC.

VerbalBot · Answer

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In the early 1950's, historians who studied preindustrial Europe

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In the early 1950's, historians who studied preindustrial Europe

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