Nice passage . it clearly is from gmatprep because is clear and consistent. of course..
back to the question
1) The passage is primarily concerned with
(A) demonstrating the relationship between bubonic
plague and the Black Death -
we already know this or at least there is some connection BUT we are discussing completely another thing in the passage; quite clear(B) interpreting historical and scientific works on the
origins of the Black Death -
no absolutely: is not the origin of black death: such as genetic mutations or something like that(C) employing the Black Death as a case study of
disease transmission in medieval Europe -
no. here we are studying other things(D) presenting aspects of past and current debate on
the historical importance of the Black Death -
correct. infact if you see the first phrases you could notice such statement Quote:
The Black Death, a severe epidemic that ravaged
fourteenth-century Europe, has intrigued scholars ever
since Francis Gasquet's 1893
OR
Quote:
n the 1930s, however, Evgeny Kosminsky and other
Marxist historians claimed the epidemic was merely
As you can see ther is a historical unfolding of the events. this argument in somehow is circular: something is proposed, then the idea on that is changed, then someone back again into the question
(E) analyzing the differences between capitalist and
Marxist interpretations of the historical significance
of the Black Death -
out of scope2) Which of the following statements is most
compatible with Kosminsky's approach to history,
as it is presented in the passage?
(A) The Middle Ages were ended primarily by the
religious and political upheaval in fourteenthcentury
Europe. -
no info about that or insufficient(B) The economic consequences of the Black Death
included increased competition for food, shelter,
and work. -
we already know or we can infer this but is incorrect; is not what we are looking for(C) European history cannot be studied in isolation
from that of the rest of the world. -
out of scope(D) The number of deaths in fourteenth-century
Europe has been greatly exaggerated by other
historians. -
out of scope(E) The significance of the Black Death is best
explained within the context of evolving economic
systems.
Quote:
In arguing that this decline of
feudalism was economically determined, the Marxist
asserted that the Black Death was a relatively
insignificant factor.
As you can see is quite clear WHY E is correctMoreover, you can see other signals about an economic framework in which Black death is carved: words such as tradeship, agrarian crisis, decay of feudalism and new economic era such as Renaissance......................
Hope is clear. If you have doubts do not esitate to ask