The early history of labor unions in the United States is fraught with

Question

The early history of labor unions in the United States is fraught with incidents of corporate intimidation, subversion, and hooliganism. Not surprisingly, most early unions failed quickly and dramatically. One of the few successful unions in the early history of the labor movement (a period beginning in the late nineteenth century) was the Telephone Operators’ Union (TOU) of Boston, a union that succeeded at a time when the American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) monopoly was crushing unionist movements throughout the nation. An even more noteworthy aspect of the TOU, however, is that its membership and leadership were made up almost entirely of young women.

Why did Boston's telephone operators’ union succeed while most other operators’ unions (and unions in general) failed? First, Boston was the home of the Women's Trade Union League (WTUL), whose elite, college-educated membership provided counsel and support. Second, the women of the TOU were natives of Boston, a city that, at the time, had an  extremely parochial world view . Boston politics reflected this, giving the operators a political advantage over AT&T, which was perceived by Boston's movers and shakers as an "outsider." Finally, the TOU's members were young, middle-class, and  so Clearly in the political and cultural mainstream  (photographs of the operators show that many affected the "flapper" look that was then coming into style) that it was impossible for AT&T to portray them as “dangerous radicals," a strategy that had been effective in other situations.

Ultimately, the TOU succumbed to a high turnover rate among its rank and file and an internal split that disastrously divided its membership. Still, the TOU achieved major victories in its prime, and left an indelible impression on American labor by inspiring the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to establish a department for telephone operators, thereby affording them their first opportunity to organize on a national level. The IBEW allowed its operators’ union to run semi-autonomously, holding independent conventions and electing its own officers. The national union was also dominated, from the rank and file up to its president, by women.    1 
 1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

A. The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America.
B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into two separate unions.
C. The TOU is still a successful union today.
D. The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members.
E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years.

2 
 2. The author mentions Boston's “extremely parochial world view" ( Highlighted ) in order to

A. emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city
B. show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed
C. stress the narrow-mindedness of boston's political leaders regarding union movements
D. explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women
E. present the views of the members of the TOI in geographical context

3 
 3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" ( Highlighted ) worked to their advantage because

A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate
B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands
C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage
D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful
E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders

4 
 4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU succeeded at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed EXCEPT:

A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles.
B. TOU members projected a mainstream image. 
C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate.
D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance.
E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston.

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Gaudapada · Answer

+---+---+---+---+
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
+---+---+---+---+
| A | B | D | C |
+---+---+---+---+

1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

A. The TOU had a  lasting effect  on the unions of America. 
 CORRECT :   From the passage, 
 An indelible mark  is a phrase which means a contribution which cannot be ignored/forgotten. This would imply that the TOU's contribution had a lasting effect on the unions of America.

B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into  two separate unions . 
While it is true that TOU was divided into  two factions  by internal strife, Passage does not necessarily mention that it was divided into  two separate unions 
From the  last paragraph ,

C. The TOU is still a successful union today. 
From the last paragraph,
 
The fact that the author mentions that the TOU succumbed (past tense) means that they cannot still be successful today.
Succumb means to give in/fail to some external pressure.

D. The TOU was  revitalized  by a high turnover rate among its members. 
The high revitalization rate was a negative aspect which lead to TOU succumbing.  Revitalize  has a  positive connotation  while  succumb  has a  negative connotation . Hence this option is incorrect.

E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its  waning years . 
Last paragraph mentions that 
 
The victories mentioned here were achieved in TOU's  prime , not it's  waning years .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. The author mentions Boston's  “extremely parochial world view"  (Highlighted) in order to

A. emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city  
Author never mentions that big business was not welcome in the city. Boston's  "extremely parochial view"  resulted in distrust towards  outsiders  in particular, not  big business  as a whole.

B. show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed  
The broader context of  paragraph 2  is that the Author is mentioning reason's why the TOU of Boston succeeded where others failed. Given this context,
 
The author is clearly mentioning the way in which Boston's parochial view favored TOU politically. In other words, It is an explanation of the political climate which lead to the success of TOU.

C. stress the narrow-mindedness of boston's political leaders regarding union movements  
This option contradicts the passage. The narrow-minded view of Boston's political leaders is mentioned by the author as a  positive for the union movements (insiders)  and a  negative for AT&T (outsiders) . In other words, the narrow mindedness of Boston's leaders was  not  towards the union movements.

D. explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women  
The fact that TOU's membership was mainly made up of women does not in any way explain why Boston was against big business. The option is irrelevant to the question.

E. present the views of the members of the TOI in geographical context  
From  paragraph 2 ,
 
Author was explaining the reason why the city of Boston as a whole (and Boston's political leaders as a result of this majority opinion) did not welcome big business in the city. The women may or may not have a parochial world view , but author mentioned this point to give context about why the city as a whole held a hostile view towards the AT&T( outsiders).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were  "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream"  (Highlighted) worked to their advantage because

A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate  
Neither are marriage and retiring age mentioned in the passage, nor are they relevant to the line in question. Option is too tangential to be relevant.

B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands  
 paragraph 2   makes three arguments as to why the TOU succeeded. They can be briefly summarized as follows-
 One : Received support from the WUTL
 Two : Women were natives of Boston, unlike AT&T which was seen as an outsider.
 Three  : Members were perceived as being in the mainstream and could not be portrayed as radicals by AT&T

This option conflates argument  one  and argument  three , while Author presents these arguments independently of each other

C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage  
As with option  B , option  C  suffers from the same defect. (read  B  first)
Here argument  two  and argument  three  are being conflated. Remember, we are  not  looking for options that are  factually accurate . We are looking for why the author used the phrase in question ( "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" )

D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful  
 CORRECT :   From  paragraph 2 ,

E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders  
As with  B ,  E  also conflates two of the arguments made by the Author in  paragraph 2  (read  B) 
Here argument  two  (insider vs outsider) is being conflated with argument  three  (AT&T could not portray them as radicals)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU  succeeded  at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed  EXCEPT :

A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles.  
From  paragraph 2 ,
 
From the quote we can infer that AT&T representatives were seen as outsiders.

TOU were  natives  of Boston, so they were seen as insiders.

B. TOU members projected a mainstream image.  
From  paragraph 2 ,
 
This is an explicit statement that TOU members projected a mainstream image, which was to their advantage. We are looking for a an option that is  NOT  a possible reason that TOU succeeded.

C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate.  
 CORRECT :  The high turnover rate mentioned in  paragraph 3  is mentioned in a negative context.
 
Under no circumstance can this be interpreted as a  reason why TOU succeeded . Hence this option is correct.

D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance.  
From  paragraph 2 ,
 
This counsel and support could be a possible reason that the TOU succeeded and hence the  D  is incorrect.

E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston.  
From  paragraph 2 ,
 
From the context, effective in other situations can only mean effective against other trade unions (similar situation). Passage mentions that the strategies were ineffective, which matches with  E  as a possible reason TOU succeeded.

c93liu · Answer

I've definitely seen this one before somewhere. Searched OG and GMATprep among other sources, turns out this is the Aug 11, 2021 article from the RC Butler series.

Q1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

My answer is A).

A) The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America. 
Yes. In the last paragraph: "Still, the TOU achieved major victories in its prime, and  left an indelible impression on American labor  by inspiring...".
 B) The TOU was divided by internal strife into two separate unions. 
We know from the last paragraph that an internal split divided the TOU's membership. Does that necessarily mean the TOU divided into 2 separate unions? We do not know.
 C) The TOU is still a successful union today. 
Again, from the last paragraph, if the TOU "succumbed to ...", that likely implies that the TOU is no longer around or successful today.
 D) The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members. 
More like damaged by a high turnover rate.
 E) The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years. 
Again, last paragraph: "the TOU achieved major victories  in its prime ", not in its waning years.

Q2. The author mentions Boston's “extremely parochial world view" (Highlighted) in order to

My answer is B). The sentence following the highlight further expands and explains this: AT&T was perceived as an "outsider", and this is one of the reasons why TOU could succeed when others have failed.

A) emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city 
Too broad. Not big business, but "outsider" business specifically.
 B) show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed 
Yes. See above our analysis.
 C) stress the narrow-mindedness of boston's political leaders regarding union movements 
Nope, this highlight is not used to stress a negative aspect of the political environment, but to explain one of the factors behind TOU's success.
 D) explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women 
Not really. See above our analysis.
 E) present the views of the members of the TOI in geographical context 
The political environment is not necessarily the views of the members of the union.

Q3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" (Highlighted) worked to their advantage because

My answer is D). Answer to this is again immediately following the highlight: their mainstreamness made it hard for AT&T to portray them as “dangerous radicals". The following sentence further said such a strategy was successfully deployed by AT&T in similar situations before.

A) it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate 
Not mentioned at all. The high turnover rate did not show up until the next paragraph and was to the detriment of TOU.
 B) it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands 
Again, not mentioned at all. The WTUL lends organizational support and was the 1st factor that made TOU successful, but we are dealing with the 3rd factor here (the 2nd being the political environment of Boston).
 C) the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage 
This is the 2nd factor, but we are dealing with the 3rd here.
 D) it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful 
Yes, this is almost a word-for-word paraphrase of the sentence we noted from the above.
 E) the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders 
First off, insider is again dealing with the 2nd factor. Second, the "flapper" look is a specific example used to demonstrate the TOU members' mainstreamness. So a detail here rather than a reason, which is what we are looking for here.

Q4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU succeeded at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed EXCEPT:

My answer is C). The 3 factors analyzed above in Q3 is directly relevant here: 1) WTUL support, 2) political environment, 3) mainstreamness of members.

A) TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles. 
See #2 above.
 B) TOU members projected a mainstream image. 
See #3 above.
 C) The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate. 
Yes, this is a reason why the TOU eventually failed, not why it succeeded.
 D) The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance. 
See #1 above.
 E) Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston. 
See #3 and Q3 above.

800gal · Answer

ANSWERS
1. A
2. B
3. D
4. C

REASONING AND A HELPFUL FLASHCARD ATTACHED BELOW.

I've shared what I look out for when mapping a passage. It covers a majority of possible questions and saves me considerable time while solving RC questions. Hopefully this helps!

1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

A. The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America. CORRECT

“Still, the TOU achieved major victories in its prime, and left an indelible impression on American labor by inspiring the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to establish a department for telephone operators,”

An indelible impression certainly does mean a lasting effect. This answer fits the best. IBEW is a Union and TOU did have a lasting effect on IBEW.

~~B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into two separate unions.~~

We know an internal strife did happen and that a division occurred, we do not know whether the union split or how many unions it split into (in the case of a split) INCORRECT

~~C. The TOU is still a successful union today.~~

“Ultimately, the TOU succumbed to a high turnover rate among its rank and file and an internal split that disastrously divided its membership. Still, the TOU achieved major victories in its prime,..”

The TOU clearly split and is way past being a successful union today. INCORRECT

~~D. The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members.~~

“Ultimately, the TOU succumbed to a high turnover rate among its rank and file and an internal split that disastrously divided its membership.” - The high turnover rate did not revitalise the TOU, it did quite the opposite. Incorrect

~~E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years.~~

“Still, the TOU achieved major victories in its prime,” In it’s PRIME and not in it’s WANING years. This is incorrect

2. The author mentions Boston's “extremely parochial world view" (Highlighted) in order to

This is a role question. If unfamiliar words stop you from reading a passage quickly or increases your anxiety, do refer to the passage map for the method I use to coax meaning from context. For context —> Parochial just means narrow outlook.

The correct answer would explain why the author mentions Boston’s “parochial” world view

~~A. emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city~~

It is mentioned that “outsiders” may not have been welcomed in BOSTON not necessarily BIG BUSINESSES. INCORRECT

B. show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed CORRECT

Since the women of TOU were BOSTON NATIVES, and BOSTON had a parochial view of the world (which Boston politics reflected), TOU has a political advantage over AT&T

~~C. stress the narrow-mindedness of boston's political leaders regarding union movements~~

Boston’s political climate is said to reflect some narrow mindedness but not regarding UNION MOVEMENTS. INCORRECT

~~D. explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women~~

This isn’t the role of the sentence. All we know is that TOU had a female majority membership and not WHY. INCORRECT

~~E. present the views of the members of the TOI in geographical context~~

The views of TOU** isn’t explored either, and the purpose was never to explore it in a geographical context anyway. INCORRECT

3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" (Highlighted) worked to their advantage because

This is an evidence question. All we need to do is find support in the passage as to why the mainstream nature of TOU members worked to their advantage.

In Paragraph 2 it is stated “…. so Clearly in the political and cultural mainstream (photographs of the operators show that many affected the "flapper" look that was then coming into style) that it was impossible for AT&T to portray them as “dangerous radicals,”…”.

~~A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate~~ INCORRECT

This is beyond the scope of the passage, we have no evidence to support the members marrying or retiring early.

~~B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands~~ INCORRECT

Feminist agenda is not explored in this passage generally or even as a reason as to why the mainstream nature of TOU members worked to their advantage.

~~C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage~~ INCORRECT

This is beyond the scope of the passage. Why would the members who are already members of Boston society as native need more time to get integrated into their own societies? It is already explored that being Boston natives gave TOU members a political advantage regardless.

D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful CORRECT

This is correct. The fact that the TOU members were in the political and cultural mainstream (by affecting the stylish flapper look and so forth) made it hard for AT&T to label them “dangerous radicals”, which was a strategy effective at other times.

~~E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders~~ INCORRECT

The flapper look did come into style, however this allowed them to perceived as NOT dangerous radicals and not necessarily insiders. Besides the aspect that made them INSIDERS was the fact that they (TOU MEMBERS) were BOSTON NATIVES.

4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU succeeded at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed EXCEPT:

This is an EXCEPT evidence question. So four answers need to provide evidence for the statement that TOU succeeded at a time when other unions failed, and the CORRECT choice is not evidence stated in the passage!

As per the passage map, TOU succeeded for 3 main reasons :-

Boston member of WTUL (w/ elite +college educated members to provide counsel)
Women natives of Boston (Political advantage)
3. TOU members young, middle class and clearly in the political and cultural mainstream ( because photos of operators in stylish flapper look are seen) —> AT&T can’t portray them as “dangerous radicals ( This portrayal is a strategy effective in other situations)

~~A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles~~.
YES (INCORRECT CHOICE)

~~B. TOU members projected a mainstream image.~~

YES (INCORRECT CHOICE)

C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate. CORRECT

No. This is actually what happened in the later history of TOU and what caused a division in the organisation eventually. This is not the REASON why TOU succeeded.

~~D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance.~~

YES (INCORRECT CHOICE)

~~E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston.~~

YES (INCORRECT CHOICE)

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Sellby · Answer

Understanding the Passage:

Paragraph 1: 
Describes a detrimental climate, in the United States, for the labor Unions and emphasizes a particular labor union(TOU) that succeeded despite the difficulty. Notes the fact that the TOU is comprised mostly of women, as a distinction.

Paragraph 2: 
Investigates how the unusual success, of TOU, was possible and states three reasons. First, WTUL's elite, college-educated membership provided counsel and support. Second, Parochial mindset of the members of TOU in accordance with their locality, Boston, and accordant political climate in that locality helped supporting "insiders". Finally, Members of TOU kept abreast of Cultural and Political vogue.

Paragraph 3: 
High turnover rate among TOU's ranks finally collapsed TOU and an internal split divided its membership. Anyway, TOU had achieved major victories in its prime and, notably, inspired the IBEW to establish a department for telephone operators that was allowed be semi-autonomous and led by women, majorly.

Question 1: Answer IMO A 
1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

A. The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America. 
Correct. The last para does paraphrase this in "left an indelible impression on American labor".
 B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into two separate unions. 
Per para 3, an internal strife is evident but no information is given whether that led to a split of TOU into  two  unions.
 C. The TOU is still a successful union today. 
The last para clearly indicates that the TOU failed, by the usage of "succumbed" & "in its prime, and left".
 D. The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members. 
Actually, it's the opposite as per "TOU  succumbed  to a high turnover rate" in last para.
 E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years. 
Again, the passage says the opposite; "TOU achieved major victories in its  prime ".

Question 3: Answer IMO D 
3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" (Highlighted) worked to their advantage because

A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate 
Marriage & Retirement were never talked about in the passage. Furthermore, "high turnover rate" didn't work to the advantage of TOU but disadvantaged TOU severely.
 B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands 
Feminist agenda is nowhere indicated in the passage.
 C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage 
What gave operators a political advantage was the parochial views of Boston natives. Integration into Boston society and staying in mainstream are nowhere related in the passage.
 D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful 
Correct. It's clearly stated in the last para that being in mainstream made it impossible for AT&T(opponent) to portray TOU members as “dangerous radicals" - technique that was successful in other cases.
 E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders 
Same as C. Considered "Insiders" in Boston society and staying in mainstream are nowhere related in the passage.

Question 4: Answer IMO C 
4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU succeeded at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed EXCEPT:

A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles. 
Yes, this is one of the reasons. Boston's political circles, which gave TOU the political advantage,  reflected the parochial views  of Boston in general. 
 B. TOU members projected a mainstream image. 
True. The TOU's members were young, middle-class, and so Clearly in the political and cultural  mainstream  that it was impossible for AT&T to defeat TOU.
 C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate. 
This is not cited by author as a reason for TOU's success. In fact, in last para, the author clearly states that the high turnover rate collapsed TOU.
 D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance. 
Yes, WTUL, whose elite, college-educated membership provided counsel and support TOU, did help TOU succeed.
 E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston. 
Again true. TOU succeeded because AT&T's Union-busting strategy was lent ineffective, as TOU's members stayed in mainstream.

SomeOneUnique · Answer

According to the best of my ability, kindly find the answers below.

1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

A. The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America. => For sure this is true. Last para line 2 "TOU left an indelible impression on American labor".  CORRECT 
B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into two separate unions. => We do not know whether  'two separate unions'  is true or not because passage only mentioned about internal split.  INCORRECT 
C. The TOU is still a successful union today. => Last para line 1 "TOU succumbed" that means it is done and dusted.  INCORRECT 
D. The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members. => Opposite. Due to high turnover rate, TOU was succumbed and not revitalized. Last para line 1 "TOU succumbed to a high turnover rate".  INCORRECT 
E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years. => This choice is incorrect for 2 reasons.
According to last paragraph, line 3 "the TOU achieved major victories in its prime, and left an indelible impression on American labor"
1. Whatever was achieved, it was achieved by TOU as a whole not by leaders.
2. major victories were achieved in ints prime not in its waning years.
Thus E is  INCORRECT .

2. The author mentions Boston's “extremely parochial world view" (Highlighted) in order to

A. emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city => Passage says outsiders were not welcome. Big or small we can not comment.  INCORRECT 
B. show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed => Yes, extremely parochial world view is mentioned to show one of the reasons that lead TOU to succeed.  CORRECT 
C. stress the narrow-mindedness of boston's political leaders regarding union movements => It is partially correct because that line stresses the narrow-mindedness of the political leaders. Although they are narrow-minded regarding insider or outsider, not narrow-minded regarding union movement. If politicians were narrow minded about union movements then even TOU would not succeed as it is a union.  INCORRECT 
D. explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women => Membership of women was a different point and parochial world view is a different point. The two are not interrelated.  INCORRECT 
E. present the views of the members of the TOI in geographical context => Passage does not talk about TOI so we can eliminate this choice.  INCORRECT

3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" (Highlighted) worked to their advantage because

EXPLANATION: Being in the mainstream worked as an advantage to TOU because AT&T could not portray them as dangerous - Para 2 last line "Finally, the TOU's members were young, middle-class, and so Clearly in the political and cultural mainstream - it was impossible for AT&T to portray them as “dangerous radicals," a strategy that had been effective in other situations."
Portraying competition as dangerous, AT&T has been using the strategy in other scenarios. AT&T could not implement it against TOU. 
A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate
B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands
C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage
D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful => Perfect, in line with the explanation.  CORRECT 
E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders

4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU succeeded at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed EXCEPT:

A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles. => Par 2 line 4 "Boston politics - giving the operators a political advantage over AT&T, which was perceived as an "outsider."" - gives a reason that TOU succeeded.  INCORRECT 
B. TOU members projected a mainstream image.=> Para 2 line 5 "Finally, the TOU's members were young, middle-class, and so Clearly in the political and cultural mainstream. Hence, it was impossible for AT&T to portray them as “dangerous radicals,"" - gives a reason that TOU succeeded.  INCORRECT 
C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate. => This is mentioned as a reason why TOU succumbed and not why TOU succeeded. Thus this is an exception.  CORRECT 
D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance. => Para 2 line 2 "(WTUL), whose elite, college-educated membership provided counsel and support" - gives a reason that TOU succeeded.  INCORRECT 
E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston. => Para 2 last line "it was impossible for AT&T to portray them as “dangerous radicals," a strategy that had been effective in other situations." - gives a reason that TOU succeeded.  INCORRECT

Gknight5603 · Answer

1. A Still, the TOU achieved major victories in its prime, and left an  indelible impression. .........

2. B 2nd para is telling cause of success ...and B is clearly mentioned

3. D “dangerous radicals," a strategy that had been effective in other situations. but failed this time
 
4. C “dangerous radicals," a strategy that had been effective in other situations.................it failed because of it not succeed..

irisjojojo · Answer

The questions look so much like  OG  (OG 2.0) lol~

Question 1: A

Question 2: B

--> not presenting perspectives

Second, the women of the TOU were natives of Boston, a city that, at the time, had an extremely parochial world view. Boston politics reflected this, giving the operators a political advantage over AT&T, which was perceived by Boston's movers and shakers as an "outsider."

Question 3: C

Question 4: C

Pankaj0901 · Answer

Answer
A C E E

sunitapandey · Answer

Para1:
*Labor Unions were not very successful in the early history of US, as they were put down by the organizations.
*Telephone Operators’ Union (TOU) of Boston however was an exception and it succeeded at a time when American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) monopoly was not letting any union flourish.
*Point to note about the TOU was that it was an all women union.

Para 2:

The author has provided three reasons for the TOU of Boston's success:
* Boston was the home turf of WTUL that supported the TOU.
*Women in the TOU were natives of Boston, whose political frame supported locals.
* The members of TOU were young and middle-class.So they were part of the cultural mainstream and therefore it 
 was not possible for AT&T to malign their image and put them down.

Para 3:

* TOU ultimately succumed to high turn over rate and an internal split that let to its downfall.
* TOU left lasting impression on the unions across America by inspiring the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to organize

1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

A. The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America.
Correct
B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into two separate unions.
C. The TOU is still a successful union today.
D. The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members.
E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years.

2. The author mentions Boston's “extremely parochial world view" (Highlighted) in order to

A. emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city
B. show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed
C. stress the narrow-mindedness of boston's political leaders regarding union movements
D. explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women
E. present the views of the members of the TOI in geographical context
correct

3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" (Highlighted) worked to their advantage because

A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate
B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands
C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage
D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful
correct
E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders

4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU succeeded at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed EXCEPT:

A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles.
B. TOU members projected a mainstream image.
C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate.
correct
D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance.
E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston.

Haridas800 · Answer

1.Ans D. The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members.--> NO

A. The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America.--> Yes
B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into two separate unions.--> Yes
C. The TOU is still a successful union today.--> Yes
E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years.--> Yes

2.Ans C. stress the narrow-mindedness of boston's political leaders regarding union movements

A. emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city
B. show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed
D. explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women
E. present the views of the members of the TOI in geographical context

3.Ans : D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful

A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate
B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands
C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage
E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders

4.Ans : B. TOU members projected a mainstream image. --> This helped them to success.

A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles.
C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate.
D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance.
E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston.

akash2703 · Answer

Quick notes -

Talking about  the successful Labor unions in the past (TOU). Reasons of it being successful -

1. Support from WTUL.
2. Women were natives of Boston as insiders and AT&T as outsider.
3. TOU's members were young, middle-class with an political advantage.

Concluding  the passage, the author says the TOU divided internally in the end, but inspired the American labor unions.

1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

IMO A

A. The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America. 
 Straight from the passage -
 left an indelible impression on American labor by inspiring the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)   
B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into  two  separate unions.
   
C. The TOU is still a successful union  today .
   
D. The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members.
   
E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years.

2. The author mentions Boston's “extremely parochial world view" (Highlighted) in order to

IMO B

A. emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city
   
B. show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed
 Straight from the passage 
  
C. stress the narrow-mindedness of boston's political leaders regarding union movements
   
D. explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women    
E. present the views of the members of the TOU in geographical context

3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" (Highlighted) worked to their advantage because

IMO C

A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate    
B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands    
C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage 
   
 The members were more integrated into the society that even AT&T can't portray them as dangerous radicals. 
D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful
   
E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders

4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU succeeded at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed  EXCEPT :

IMO C

A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles.
   
B. TOU members projected a mainstream image.
   
C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate.    
   
D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance.
   
E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston.

RohitSaluja · Answer

Answers: 1->A; 2->B; 3->C; 4-C

1. According to the last paragraph, which of the following is true of the TOU?

The last paragraph mentions "Still, the TOU achieved major victories in its prime, and left an indelible impression on American labor" from the context we can understand that indelible means 'long lasting' as the las paragraph draws a contrast. Now let's look at the option choices

A. The TOU had a lasting effect on the unions of America.  
This aligns with our pre-thinking and is clearly the correct answer

B. The TOU was divided by internal strife into two separate unions. 
Although the passage does mention that there was an internal split but it does not mention that it separated into  two unions  , hence eliminate

C. The TOU is still a successful union today. 
No, it is not mentioned in the passage

D. The TOU was revitalized by a high turnover rate among its members. 
This is the opposite of what actually happened

E. The leaders of the TOU achieved major victories in its waning years. 
This is the opposite of what actually happened

2. The author mentions Boston's “extremely parochial world view" (Highlighted) in order to 
Even though I am not sure of the meaning of the word parochial let's look at the passage construction, the second passage starts off with providing explanations on why the union succeeded in Boston when it was failing in all the other places, and then goes on to provide the reasonings for the same. Now nowhere in the passage, a contrasting transitory word is used, so from there, we could infer that having 'parochial' was something that worked in favor for the unions to succeed. Let us now look at the options

A. emphasize the fact that big business was not welcome in the city 
Nowhere in the paragraph, there is mention of big business, so eliminate this

B. show that Boston had a political climate in which the TOU could succeed 
This aligns with our analysis, so lets hold on to this one

C. stress the narrow-mindedness of Boston's political leaders regarding union movements 
The narrow-mindedness of Boston's political leaders is not discussed in fact it is the oppose

D. explain why the TOU's membership was made up of young women 
No passage does not provide any reasoning for that

E. present the views of the members of the TOI in a geographical context 
No, that is not what it was used for

3. According to the passage, the fact that TOU members were "so clearly in the political and cultural mainstream" (Highlighted) worked to their advantage because

A. it meant that TOU members would marry and retire early, providing the union with a high turnover rate 
Nowhere in the passage, anything remotely related to retiring early is discussed, eliminate this

B. it allowed the WTUL to introduce more easily a feminist political agenda to the union's demands 
Nowhere in the passage, anything related to feminism or feminist political agenda is discussed

C. the members were then more integrated into Boston society, giving the operators a political advantage 
Yes, this is what it is used for because integration in politics it provided them the advantage that other did not have

D. it made it more difficult for opponents to attack them with propaganda techniques that had previously been successful 
No the reasons that attacks were difficult and showing them as dangerous radicals were difficult was because of flapper look bit not because of political and cultural mainstream

E. the "flapper" look that was then coming into style allowed them to be perceived as insiders 
Same as D

4. The author offers all of the following as possible reasons that the TOU succeeded at a time when other workers’ unions at AT&T failed EXCEPT:

A. TOU members were considered "insiders," while AT&T representatives were seen as “outsiders," in Boston's political circles. 
This is mentioned in the passage, so eliminate

B. TOU members projected a mainstream image. 
This is mentioned in the passage, so eliminate

C. The membership of the TOU had a high turnover rate. 
This is the opposite of what is mentioned in the last passage, hence this is the answer

D. The WTUL lent the TOU organizational assistance. 
This is mentioned in the passage, so eliminate

E. Union-busting strategies used by: AT&T in similar situations proved ineffective with the TOU of Boston. 
This is mentioned in the passage, so eliminate

Sajjad1994 · Answer

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Haridas800 · Answer