The eighteenth-century literary work Encyclopédie, which coincided wit

The eighteenth-century literary work Encyclopédie, which coincided with nascent industrialization, distinguished itself from its predecessors with its mix of the theoretical with the practical. While twenty pages were devoted to metaphysical speculation about the human soul, nearly as many were devoted to the machine manufacture of stockings, a principal industrial product of the day. In fact, seventeen volumes of text were accompanied by eleven volumes of illustrations, at the insistence of chief editors Denis Diderot and Jean d’Alembert, known as the “Encyclopedists.”

Prior to the mid-eighteenth century, scholars had not dared to publicly assert the intellectual freedom to reason about the mundane tools of daily life with the same seriousness as the human soul. Understandably, in 1759 Pope Clement XIII listed Encyclopédie in the Church’s Index of Prohibited Books, and the French government refused to license its printing. But due in part to the surreptitious assistance of an enlightened government official and in part to greedy booksellers, the work quickly became a best-seller throughout Europe.

1. The author mentions the machine manufacture of stockings most likely in order to

(A) show that for the Encyclopedists illustrations were just as important as text.
(B) underscore the Encyclopedists’ skepticism about prevailing metaphysical notions.
(C) demonstrate the Encyclopedists’ concern for the practical realm of human endeavor.
(D) point out the Encyclopedists’ great attention to detail.
(E) explain why it was necessary to include eleven volumes of illustrations in the work.


2. In the context of the passage, which of the following is the most reasonable explanation for the author’s characterization of government suppression of Encyclopédie as understandable?

(A) Pope Clement XIII had already called for the suppression of the work.
(B) The same government official who aided the Encyclopedists also refused to grant a license to print the work.
(C) The work’s entry about Christianity was briefer than its entry about certain other religions.
(D) In challenging the general status quo, the work might incite readers to question political authority.
(E) The government had previously banned similar works.


3. The author suggests that the commercial success of Encyclopédie

(A) was the product of illegal printing operations.
(B) brought fame to the work’s chief editors.
(C) spawned more volumes than were originally planned.
(D) was largely due to a publicity campaign by one individual.
(E) owed to the work’s extensive use of illustrations. practice test