In the field of historiographythe writing of history based on

Question

In the field of historiography—the writing of history based on a critical examination of authentic primary information sources—one area that has recently attracted attention focuses on the responses of explorers and settlers to new landscapes in order to provide insights into the transformations of the landscape itself has undergone as a result of settlement. In this endeavor historiographers examining the history of the Pacific Coast of United States have traditionally depended on the records left by European American explorers of the nineteenth century who, as commissioned agents of the U.S. government, were instructed to report thoroughly their findings in writing.

But in furthering this investigation some historiographers have recently recognized the need to expand their definition of what a source is. They maintain that the sources traditionally accepted as documenting the history of the Pacific Coast have too often omitted the response of Asian settlers to this territory. In part this is due to the dearth of written records left by Asian settlers; in contrast to the commissioned agents, most of the people who first came to western North America from Asia during this same period did not focus on developing a self-conscious written record of their involvement with the landscape. But because a full study of a culture’s historical relationship to its land cannon confine itself to a narrow record of experience, these historiographers have begun to recognize the value of other kinds of evidence, such as the actions of Asian settlers.

As a case in point, the role of Chinese settlers in expanding agriculture throughout the Pacific Coast territory is integral to the history of the region. Without access to the better land, Chinese settlers looked for agricultural potential in this generally arid region where other settlers did not. For example, where settlers of European descent looked at willows and saw only useless, untillable swamp, Chinese settlers saw fresh water, fertile soil, and the potential for bringing water to more arid areas via irrigation. Where other settlers who looked at certain weeds, such as wild mustard, generally saw a nuisance, Chinese settlers saw abundant raw material for valuable spices from a plant naturally suited to the local soil and climate.

Given their role in the labor force shaping this territory in the nineteenth century, the Chinese settlers offered more than just a new view of the land. Their vision was reinforced by specialized skills involving swamp reclamation and irrigation systems, which helped lay the foundation for the now well-known and prosperous agribusiness of the region. That 80 percent of the area’s cropland is now irrigated and that the region is currently the top producer of many specialty crops cannot be fully understood by historiographers without attention to the input of Chinese settlers as reconstructed from their interactions with that landscape.   1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

A. The history of settlement along the Pacific Coast of the U.S., as understood by most historiographers, is confirmed by evidence reconstructed from the actions of Asian settlers. 
B. Asian settlers on the Pacific Coast of the U.S. left a record of their experiences that traditional historiographers believed to be irrelevant.
C. To understand Asian settlers’ impact on the history of the Pacific Coast of the U.S., historiographers have had to recognize the value of non-traditional kinds of historiographical evidence.
D. Spurred by new findings regarding Asian settlement on the Pacific Coast of the U.S. historiographers have begun to debate the methodological foundations of historiographer.
E. By examining only written information, historiography as it is traditionally practiced has produced inaccurate historical accounts.

2 
 2. Which one of the following most accurately describes the author’s primary purpose in discussing Chinese settlers in the third paragraph?

A. To suggest that Chinese settlers followed typical settlement patterns in this region during the nineteenth century.
B. To argue that little written evidence of Chinese settlers’ practice survives
C. To provide examples illustrating the unique view Asian settlers had of the land
D. To demonstrate that the history of settlement in the region has become a point of contention among historiographers. 
E. To claim that the historical record provided by the actions of Asian settlers is inconsistent with history as derived from the traditional sources.

3 
 3. The passage states that the primary traditional historiographic sources of information about the history of the Pacific Coast of the U.S. have which one of the following characteristics?

A. They were written both before and after Asian settlers arrived in the area
B. They include accounts by Native Americans in the area
C. They are primarily concerned with potential agricultural uses of the land.
D. They focus primarily on the presence of water sources in the region
E. They are accounts left by European American explorers.

4 
 4. The author would most likely disagree with which one of the following statements?

A. Examining the actions not only of Asian settlers but of other cultural groups of the Pacific Coast of the U.S. is necessary to a full understanding of the impact of settlement on the landscape there.
B. The significance of certain actions to the writing of history may be recognized by one group of historiographers but not another.
C. Recognizing the actions of Asian settlers adds to but does not complete the writing of the history of the Pacific Coast of the U.S.
D. By recognizing as evidence the actions of people, historiographers expand the definition of what a source is
E. The expanded definition of a source will probably not be relevant to studies of regions that have no significant immigration of non-Europeans.

5 
 5. According to the passage, each of the following was an aspect of Chinese settlers’ initial interactions with the landscape of the Pacific Coast of the U.S. EXCEPT:

A. New ideas for utilizing local plants
B. A new view of the land
C. Specialized agricultural skills
D. Knowledge of agribusiness practices
E. Knowledge of irrigation systems

6 
 6. Which one of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage?

A. Most Chinese settlers came to the Pacific Coast of the U.S. because the climate was similar to that which they were familiar
B. Chinese agricultural methods in the nineteenth century included knowledge of swamp reclamation
C. Settlers of European descent used wild mustard seed as a spice
D. Because of the abundance of written source available, it is not worthwhile to examine the actions of European settlers.
E. What written records were left by Asian settlers were neglected and consequently lost to scholarly research.

7 
 7. Which one of the following, if true, would most help to strengthen the author’s main claim in the last sentence of the passage?

A. Market research of agribusinesses owned by descendants of Chinese settlers shows that the market for the region’s specialty crops has grown substantially faster than the market for any other crops in the last decade.
B. Nineteenth-century surveying records indicate that the lands now cultivated by specialty crop businesses owned by descendants of Chinese settlers were formerly swamp lands.
C. Research by university agricultural science departments proves that the formerly arid lands now cultivated by large agribusinesses contain extremely fertile soil when they are sufficiently irrigated
D. A technological history tracing the development of irrigation systems in region reveals that their efficiency has increased steadily since the nineteenth century
E. Whether records compiled over the previous century demonstrate that the weather patterns in the region are well-suited to growing certain specialty crops as long as they are irrigated.

gmat1393 · Answer

4.The author would most likely disagree with which one of the following statements?

A.Examining the actions not only of Asian settlers but of other cultural groups of the Pacific Coast of the U.S. is necessary to a full understanding of the impact of settlement on the landscape there. --  Since the actions of Chinese settlers along with early writing provides full understanding Author Agrees with this.
 
B. The significance of certain actions to the writing of history may be recognized by one group of historiographers but not another. --  Following is an excerpt from the starting lines of Para 2. But in furthering this investigation some historiographers have recently recognized the need to expand their definition of what a source is.Based on this we can say that Author agrees with this.

C. Recognizing the actions of Asian settlers adds to but does not complete the writing of the history of the Pacific Coast of the U.S. --  Yes because we need both Asian settlers actions and writings of the history of the Pacific Coast to get the complete picture 
 
D. By recognizing as evidence the actions of people, historiographers expand the definition of what a source is. -- Following is an excerpt from the last sentences of Para 2. But because a full study of a culture’s historical relationship to its land cannon confine itself to a narrow record of experience, these historiographers have begun to recognize the value of other kinds of evidence, such as the actions of Asian settlers. So, Author agrees with this.

E. The expanded definition of a source will probably not be relevant to studies of regions that have no significant immigration of non-Europeans --  Correct choice and seems to be legit one

Hope this helps!

Diwakar003 · Answer

The last sentence says, 'That 80 percent of the area’s cropland is now irrigated and that the region is currently the top producer of many specialty crops cannot be fully understood by historiographers without attention to the input of Chinese settlers as reconstructed from their interactions with that landscape'.

Essence of the sentence - Without knowledge of role played by Chinese, it's difficult to know about many speciality crops.

Which of the following strengthens?

A. Market research of agribusinesses owned by descendants of Chinese settlers shows that the market for the region’s specialty crops has grown substantially faster than the market for any other crops in the last decade. -  Not relevant 
B. Nineteenth-century surveying records indicate that the lands now cultivated by specialty crop businesses owned by descendants of Chinese settlers were formerly swamp lands. - Strengthens. If the land owned by Chinese descendants were swamp lands, it's the Chinese who have used their knowledge to make such lands fertile. 
C. Research by university agricultural science departments proves that the formerly arid lands now cultivated by large agribusinesses contain extremely fertile soil when they are sufficiently irrigated. -  Doesn't connect the role played by Chinese and the swamp lands. Not relevant. 
D. A technological history tracing the development of irrigation systems in region reveals that their efficiency has increased steadily. Doesn't bring Chinese in the picture.  Doesn't connect the role played by Chinese and the swamp lands. Not relevant. 
E. Whether records compiled over the previous century demonstrate that the weather patterns in the region are well-suited to growing certain specialty crops as long as they are irrigated.  Doesn't connect the role played by Chinese and the swamp lands. Not relevant.

Hope this helped.

Cheers!

mSKR · Answer

AndrewN  sir

Please suggest for Q4:

But in furthering this investigation some historiographers have recently recognized the need to expand their definition of what a source is.

But because a full study of a culture’s historical relationship to its land cannon confine itself to a narrow record of experience, these historiographers have begun to recognize the value of other kinds of evidence, such as the actions of Asian settlers. As a case in point, the role of Chinese settlers in expanding agriculture throughout the Pacific Coast territory is integral to the history of the region

But in furthering this investigation some historiographers have recently recognized the need to expand their definition of what a source is.
Historiographers expanded the definition because they were confined to a narrow record of experience not because expanded definition by seeing evidence as actions of people
 Why D is not an answer?

1. Definition of source may not be applicable to regions that have Europeans settlers. As per historiographers, source would be expanded if observer evidence of non-Europeans . The how can expanded definition of a source be relevant to regions that have no significant immigration of non –Europeans? 
Author should agree with this
2. Probably not : or probably –both doesn’t affect much. May or may not be applicable – soft term is used so author has no harm in agreeing  then why this is an answer?

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  mSKR . (You dropped the "i"?) First of all, what are you doing practicing LSAT passages if you are preparing for the GMAT™? The reading passages and accompanying questions from one test to another are not interchangeable. With that said, both (D) and (E) are the types of answers that should not warrant a further look at the passage, provided you have followed its main point from paragraph to paragraph. Choice (D) agrees with the content of the passage: historiographers better understand their subject by acknowledging multiple sources of information. Choice (E) sounds ethnocentric and goes in the opposite direction, placing too much emphasis on records written by Europeans, essentially dismissing any additional information provided by non-European sources, provided this latter group is not sizable enough. (Sounds pretty racist to me, not a vibe I picked up from the passage.) You focused on  probably  when I think you should have gone back one word further— will probably . This is much more predictive than a standalone  probably . Consider:

1)  I probably should study more.  (This may be important or urgent, but maybe not.)
2)  Someone will probably steal the diamond.  (This seems likely, something that warrants action.)

I hope that helps. Thank you for thinking to ask.

- Andrew

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. The passage states that the primary traditional historiographic sources of information about the history of the Pacific Coast of the U.S. have which one of the following characteristics?

Explanation

“Primary traditional...sources”  (there’s  “traditional”  again!) sends us to  paragraph 1 , specifically lines 8–14  (In this endeavor historiographers examining the history of the Pacific Coast of the United States have traditionally depended on the records left by European American explorers of the nineteenth century who, as commissioned agents of the U.S. government, were instructed to report thoroughly their findings in writing.) , which allows us to predict as an answer  “the writings of European explorers.”  What could be more straightforward than  (E) ?

(A)  The only reference to time frame is in lines 22–25  (records left by Asian settlers; in contrast to the commissioned agents, most of the people who first came to western North America from Asia during this same period did not focus on developing) , where we hear that the European and Asian settlers arrived “during this same period,” although the former wrote things down and the latter didn’t.

(B)  Native Americans—whether sources of written evidence or not—are never mentioned in the passage.

(C)  Opposite. The European settlers saw the land as “useless, untillable swamp.”

(D)  Another Opposite. The traditional primary sources considered the Pacific Coast a “generally arid region.”

Answer: E

5. According to the passage, each of the following was an aspect of Chinese settlers’ initial interactions with the landscape of the Pacific Coast of the U.S. EXCEPT:

Explanation

A quick skim of  paragraphs 2  and  3 —the portions of the passage in which Chinese settlers’ reactions to the land are described—should knock out  (B)  and  (C)  in a heartbeat: the Chinese view of the land as agriculturally promising was certainly  “new”  compared with the other settlers’ view  (B) , and the phrase  “specialized agricultural skills” (C)  jumps out at us.

Meanwhile, the Chinese settlers’ interest in using nuisance weeds in a new and productive way  ( lines 43–47:  Where other settlers who looked at certain weeds, such as wild mustard, generally saw a nuisance, Chinese settlers saw abundant raw material for valuable spices from a plant naturally suited to the local soil and climate.)  speaks to  (A) , while  lines 51–52   (Their vision was reinforced by specialized skills involving swamp reclamation and irrigation systems)  directly support  (E).

That leaves  (D) , and while the Chinese settlers may well have been smart businesspeople, the word  “agribusiness”  is used to describe only the activities of the modern era  ( line 54:  helped lay the foundation for the now well-known)  and thus is not directly associated with  “settlers’ initial interactions.”

Answer: D

VerbalBot · Answer

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In the field of historiographythe writing of history based on

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