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23 Apr 2020, 08:55
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Question 1
E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
72% (02:42) correct
28%
(02:36) wrong
based on 297
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 2
E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
71% (00:55) correct 29%
(01:26) wrong
based on 309
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 3
B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
95%
(hard)
Question Stats:
31% (01:46) correct 69%
(01:39) wrong
based on 316
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 4
D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
15%
(low)
Question Stats:
66% (00:31) correct 34%
(00:38) wrong
based on 301
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 5
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
57% (01:03) correct 43%
(01:10) wrong
based on 299
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Project RC Butler 2020 - Participate and win GMAT Club Tests.
Passage # 45, Date: 23-Apr-2020
This post is a part of Project RC Butler 2020. Click here for Details
Passage # 45, Date: 23-Apr-2020
This post is a part of Project RC Butler 2020. Click here for Details
Journalist Rebecca West’s 1937 journey through Yugoslavia began in Croatia, and in the city of Zagreb she confessed to being perplexed at having stumbled on “the strangest episode of sovereignty I have ever chanced upon in any land.” West sets out to solve this riddle, which involves the Croats’ irrational but persistent attachment to the Habsburg dynasty that ruled Austria. Why would the Croats continue to feel loyalty toward the Austrians, who sold out Croatia to Hungary over and over again?
In a Zagreb square, West sees a statue of the Croat general Yellatchitch. For West, this statue crystallizes the paradox of the Croats’ enduring desire for a stable alliance with the much larger Austria in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Croatia’s desire to put itself under Austrian control was a conundrum because Croatia had recently liberated itself from Hungarian rule. Yellatchitch came to the defense of the Habsburgs when Hungary threatened to depose them in 1848, leading the Croat army to victory in Austria’s name. But after offering their fervent support to Austria, the Croats received only treachery and betrayal in return. Instead of guaranteeing Croat autonomy, the Habsburgs consigned them once again to subjection under Hungary, the empire the less-powerful Croats had so recently vanquished.
For West, the statue of Yellatchitch stands as a reminder of a brief but lapsed moment when liberation from imperial power seemed imminent but did not ultimately arrive. It is a perverse commemoration of the dashed hopes of 1848. If for the Croats the victory “might as well have been a defeat,” and for the Hungarians vice versa, why leave the statue in the middle of the town square? West writes that, for the Croats who encounter it every day as they go about their mundane errands, the statue embodies their ardor for meaningless sacrifice.
In a Zagreb square, West sees a statue of the Croat general Yellatchitch. For West, this statue crystallizes the paradox of the Croats’ enduring desire for a stable alliance with the much larger Austria in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Croatia’s desire to put itself under Austrian control was a conundrum because Croatia had recently liberated itself from Hungarian rule. Yellatchitch came to the defense of the Habsburgs when Hungary threatened to depose them in 1848, leading the Croat army to victory in Austria’s name. But after offering their fervent support to Austria, the Croats received only treachery and betrayal in return. Instead of guaranteeing Croat autonomy, the Habsburgs consigned them once again to subjection under Hungary, the empire the less-powerful Croats had so recently vanquished.
For West, the statue of Yellatchitch stands as a reminder of a brief but lapsed moment when liberation from imperial power seemed imminent but did not ultimately arrive. It is a perverse commemoration of the dashed hopes of 1848. If for the Croats the victory “might as well have been a defeat,” and for the Hungarians vice versa, why leave the statue in the middle of the town square? West writes that, for the Croats who encounter it every day as they go about their mundane errands, the statue embodies their ardor for meaningless sacrifice.
1. Which of the following is a word in the passage that is most closely synonymous with “paradox”?
a) Autonomy
b) Sovereignty
c) Commemoration
d) Desire
e) Conundrum
2. According to the passage, the outcome of the 1848 confrontation between Croatia and Hungary was
a) an unadulterated victory for Croatia
b) an embarrassment for Austria
c) a disappointment for Rebecca West
d) the conquest of Croatia by Hungary
e) a triumph that Croatia did not get to enjoy
3. Given the facts presented in the passage, it is possible to validly infer all of the following EXCEPT:
a) Croatia was at a disadvantage when fighting Hungary.
b) The Habsburgs ceded Croatia to Hungary as a form of punishment.
c) The 1848 battle between Croatia and Hungary cost many lives.
d) West believes the monument to General Yellatchitch is not agreeable or appropriate
e) General Yellatchitch led troops into war because he anticipated a favorable result for Croatia.
4. In the first paragraph, the idiom “sold out” is closest to the meaning of which of the following?
a) Received money in payment for
b) No longer in stock
c) Transferred power of
d) Betrayed
e) Lost control of
5. The function of the final sentence is most accurately described as
a) An answer to a rhetorical question
b) A starting-point for future study
c) A conclusion to an extended argument
d) A piece of evidence for a claim that had previously been unsupported
e) An example that substantiates a previously abstract concept
a) Autonomy
b) Sovereignty
c) Commemoration
d) Desire
e) Conundrum
2. According to the passage, the outcome of the 1848 confrontation between Croatia and Hungary was
a) an unadulterated victory for Croatia
b) an embarrassment for Austria
c) a disappointment for Rebecca West
d) the conquest of Croatia by Hungary
e) a triumph that Croatia did not get to enjoy
3. Given the facts presented in the passage, it is possible to validly infer all of the following EXCEPT:
a) Croatia was at a disadvantage when fighting Hungary.
b) The Habsburgs ceded Croatia to Hungary as a form of punishment.
c) The 1848 battle between Croatia and Hungary cost many lives.
d) West believes the monument to General Yellatchitch is not agreeable or appropriate
e) General Yellatchitch led troops into war because he anticipated a favorable result for Croatia.
4. In the first paragraph, the idiom “sold out” is closest to the meaning of which of the following?
a) Received money in payment for
b) No longer in stock
c) Transferred power of
d) Betrayed
e) Lost control of
5. The function of the final sentence is most accurately described as
a) An answer to a rhetorical question
b) A starting-point for future study
c) A conclusion to an extended argument
d) A piece of evidence for a claim that had previously been unsupported
e) An example that substantiates a previously abstract concept
23 Apr 2020, 14:58
Kudos
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Here are my answers -
1. E (This can be referenced to the statement in the passage - Croatia’s desire to put itself under Austrian control was a conundrum because Croatia had recently liberated itself from Hungarian rule.)
2. E (As per the passage Croats received only treachery and betrayal in return. Instead of guaranteeing Croat autonomy, the Habsburgs consigned them once again to subjection under Hungary.)
3. C (There is no reference in the passage on the cost of life in the 1848 battle between Croatia and Hungary.)
4. B (The idiomatic reference to say that Croats are again been consigned to Hungary)
5. A (Answer to the rhetorical question in the previous lines).
1. E (This can be referenced to the statement in the passage - Croatia’s desire to put itself under Austrian control was a conundrum because Croatia had recently liberated itself from Hungarian rule.)
2. E (As per the passage Croats received only treachery and betrayal in return. Instead of guaranteeing Croat autonomy, the Habsburgs consigned them once again to subjection under Hungary.)
3. C (There is no reference in the passage on the cost of life in the 1848 battle between Croatia and Hungary.)
4. B (The idiomatic reference to say that Croats are again been consigned to Hungary)
5. A (Answer to the rhetorical question in the previous lines).
23 Apr 2020, 15:31
Kudos
Bookmarks
Answers are in bold.
1. Which of the following is a word in the passage that is most closely synonymous with “paradox”?
a) Autonomy
b) Sovereignty
c) Commemoration
d) Desire
e) Conundrum
Explanation of question 1
I must admit it helps to know the meaning of the word when you come across it in passage. But the GMAT insists that you don't need to have a great vocabulary to crack to verbal section. Therefore we will try to get the answer if we do not know what conundrum means. So paradox means some sort of contradiction. Now we will try to match this meaning to the word.
A - autonomy means some sort of independence in terms of govt etc. Definitely nothing to do with paradox. Out.
B - Sovereignty is also on similar lines of A, kind of self-autonomy. Out.
C - Commemoration means we remember something great which happened in the past. Not paradox. We are down to the last 2, very close.
D - Desire, absolutely not paradox is it.
E - must be this choice! See it was easy wasn't it?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. According to the passage, the outcome of the 1848 confrontation between Croatia and Hungary was
a) an unadulterated victory for Croatia
b) an embarrassment for Austria
c) a disappointment for Rebecca West
d) the conquest of Croatia by Hungary
e) a triumph that Croatia did not get to enjoy
Explanation of question 2
A - unadulterated means pure, right? So was the victory pure? It felt like it was a not really a victory. Even this is supported by the passage - "If for the Croats the victory “might as well have been a defeat,”". Therefore, I am not a fan of this choice. out.
B - Why would it be an embarrassment for Austria? They had nothing to do with. Its only after the victory, when Croatia sided with Austria, they sold the Croats out! I am really feeling bad for Croatia now.
C - Rebecca West was perplexed by what happened after the event. But the victory itself was not a dissapoinment.
D - This is not supported in the passage.
E - Yes this is true. The triumph would have been enjoyable to the Croats if they liberation from the imperial power (Hungary) would follow. It never came unfortunately. It is supported in the passage here - "For West, the statue of Yellatchitch stands as a reminder of a brief but lapsed moment when liberation from imperial power seemed imminent but did not ultimately arrive."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Given the facts presented in the passage, it is possible to validly infer all of the following EXCEPT:
a) Croatia was at a disadvantage when fighting Hungary.
b) The Habsburgs ceded Croatia to Hungary as a form of punishment.
c) The 1848 battle between Croatia and Hungary cost many lives.
d) West believes the monument to General Yellatchitch is not agreeable or appropriate
e) General Yellatchitch led troops into war because he anticipated a favorable result for Croatia.
Explanation of question 3
This is an EXCEPT question. We need to find 4 choices which can be inferred. The odd one out is our answer.
A - Yes it is supported in the passage here - "the Habsburgs consigned them once again to subjection under Hungary, the empire the less-powerful Croats had so recently vanquished." Less powerful Croats means they were the underdogs.
B - It is true that Hashburgs ceded Croatia to Hungary, but was it as a form of punishment? The passage does not really elaborate the why. Looking like the answer.
C - Yes its supported here - "West writes that, for the Croats who encounter it every day as they go about their mundane errands, the statue embodies their ardor for meaningless sacrifice." The word sacrifice means it came at a cost of lots of lives.
D - Supported here - "It is a perverse commemoration of the dashed hopes of 1848." This is where West thinks the statue is not appropriate.
E - Supported here - "It is a perverse commemoration of the dashed hopes of 1848." The word dashed hopes says that the General had a hope that he would win. We can infer from this that the General anticipated a favourable result.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. In the first paragraph, the idiom “sold out” is closest to the meaning of which of the following?
a) Received money in payment for
b) No longer in stock
c) Transferred power of
d) Betrayed
e) Lost control of
Explanation of question 4
Knowing the meaning certainly helps, however we want to use POE to get to the answer. But lets first see in what context it is used.
"Why would the Croats continue to feel loyalty toward the Austrians, who sold out Croatia to Hungary over and over again?"
Aha so there is back and forth here, West does not understand why why Croats continued to feel loyal to the Austrians, who sold them out.. who misused their trust... so Austria was kind of stiched Croatia up.. betrayed Croatia.. Aha choice D. Gotcha!
A - Received money in payment for...Croatia.. No
B - No longer in stock..Croatia.. Absolutely makes no sense.
C - Transferred power of..Croatia. Not really.
D - Betrayed..Croatia.. yes!!
E - Lost control of..Croatia.. No they betrayed them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. The function of the final sentence is most accurately described as
a) An answer to a rhetorical question
b) A starting-point for future study
c) A conclusion to an extended argument
d) A piece of evidence for a claim that had previously been unsupported
e) An example that substantiates a previously abstract concept
Explanation of question 5
A - the rhetorical question here is - "why leave the statue in the middle of the town square?" Is West looking for an answer here? No. Because the purpose of the question is harp on the point that the statue stands for meaningless sacrifice. Looking good!
B - It does not feel like the author is starting another study. It is as we discussed, a rhetorical question.
C - It is definitely a conclusion, but this is not an argument.
D -It is not a piece of evidence.
E - It is definitely not an example.
1. Which of the following is a word in the passage that is most closely synonymous with “paradox”?
a) Autonomy
b) Sovereignty
c) Commemoration
d) Desire
e) Conundrum
Explanation of question 1
I must admit it helps to know the meaning of the word when you come across it in passage. But the GMAT insists that you don't need to have a great vocabulary to crack to verbal section. Therefore we will try to get the answer if we do not know what conundrum means. So paradox means some sort of contradiction. Now we will try to match this meaning to the word.
A - autonomy means some sort of independence in terms of govt etc. Definitely nothing to do with paradox. Out.
B - Sovereignty is also on similar lines of A, kind of self-autonomy. Out.
C - Commemoration means we remember something great which happened in the past. Not paradox. We are down to the last 2, very close.
D - Desire, absolutely not paradox is it.
E - must be this choice! See it was easy wasn't it?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. According to the passage, the outcome of the 1848 confrontation between Croatia and Hungary was
a) an unadulterated victory for Croatia
b) an embarrassment for Austria
c) a disappointment for Rebecca West
d) the conquest of Croatia by Hungary
e) a triumph that Croatia did not get to enjoy
Explanation of question 2
A - unadulterated means pure, right? So was the victory pure? It felt like it was a not really a victory. Even this is supported by the passage - "If for the Croats the victory “might as well have been a defeat,”". Therefore, I am not a fan of this choice. out.
B - Why would it be an embarrassment for Austria? They had nothing to do with. Its only after the victory, when Croatia sided with Austria, they sold the Croats out! I am really feeling bad for Croatia now.
C - Rebecca West was perplexed by what happened after the event. But the victory itself was not a dissapoinment.
D - This is not supported in the passage.
E - Yes this is true. The triumph would have been enjoyable to the Croats if they liberation from the imperial power (Hungary) would follow. It never came unfortunately. It is supported in the passage here - "For West, the statue of Yellatchitch stands as a reminder of a brief but lapsed moment when liberation from imperial power seemed imminent but did not ultimately arrive."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Given the facts presented in the passage, it is possible to validly infer all of the following EXCEPT:
a) Croatia was at a disadvantage when fighting Hungary.
b) The Habsburgs ceded Croatia to Hungary as a form of punishment.
c) The 1848 battle between Croatia and Hungary cost many lives.
d) West believes the monument to General Yellatchitch is not agreeable or appropriate
e) General Yellatchitch led troops into war because he anticipated a favorable result for Croatia.
Explanation of question 3
This is an EXCEPT question. We need to find 4 choices which can be inferred. The odd one out is our answer.
A - Yes it is supported in the passage here - "the Habsburgs consigned them once again to subjection under Hungary, the empire the less-powerful Croats had so recently vanquished." Less powerful Croats means they were the underdogs.
B - It is true that Hashburgs ceded Croatia to Hungary, but was it as a form of punishment? The passage does not really elaborate the why. Looking like the answer.
C - Yes its supported here - "West writes that, for the Croats who encounter it every day as they go about their mundane errands, the statue embodies their ardor for meaningless sacrifice." The word sacrifice means it came at a cost of lots of lives.
D - Supported here - "It is a perverse commemoration of the dashed hopes of 1848." This is where West thinks the statue is not appropriate.
E - Supported here - "It is a perverse commemoration of the dashed hopes of 1848." The word dashed hopes says that the General had a hope that he would win. We can infer from this that the General anticipated a favourable result.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. In the first paragraph, the idiom “sold out” is closest to the meaning of which of the following?
a) Received money in payment for
b) No longer in stock
c) Transferred power of
d) Betrayed
e) Lost control of
Explanation of question 4
Knowing the meaning certainly helps, however we want to use POE to get to the answer. But lets first see in what context it is used.
"Why would the Croats continue to feel loyalty toward the Austrians, who sold out Croatia to Hungary over and over again?"
Aha so there is back and forth here, West does not understand why why Croats continued to feel loyal to the Austrians, who sold them out.. who misused their trust... so Austria was kind of stiched Croatia up.. betrayed Croatia.. Aha choice D. Gotcha!
A - Received money in payment for...Croatia.. No
B - No longer in stock..Croatia.. Absolutely makes no sense.
C - Transferred power of..Croatia. Not really.
D - Betrayed..Croatia.. yes!!
E - Lost control of..Croatia.. No they betrayed them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. The function of the final sentence is most accurately described as
a) An answer to a rhetorical question
b) A starting-point for future study
c) A conclusion to an extended argument
d) A piece of evidence for a claim that had previously been unsupported
e) An example that substantiates a previously abstract concept
Explanation of question 5
A - the rhetorical question here is - "why leave the statue in the middle of the town square?" Is West looking for an answer here? No. Because the purpose of the question is harp on the point that the statue stands for meaningless sacrifice. Looking good!
B - It does not feel like the author is starting another study. It is as we discussed, a rhetorical question.
C - It is definitely a conclusion, but this is not an argument.
D -It is not a piece of evidence.
E - It is definitely not an example.
