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Question 1
C
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(medium)
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77% (03:22) correct
23%
(03:10) wrong
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Date
Time
Result
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Question 2
B
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67% (01:07) correct 33%
(01:25) wrong
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Question 3
D
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77% (01:26) correct 23%
(01:53) wrong
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Question 4
B
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Question 5
A
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Question 6
D
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45%
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58% (01:05) correct 42%
(01:12) wrong
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There is substantial evidence that by 1926, with the publication of The Weary Blues, Langston Hughes had broken with two well-established traditions in African American literature. In The Weary Blues, Hughes chose to modify the traditions that decreed that African American literature must promote racial acceptance and integration, and that, in order to do so, it must reflect an understanding and mastery of Western European literary techniques and styles. Necessarily excluded by this decree, linguistically and thematically, was the vast amount of secular folk material in the oral tradition that had been created by Black people in the years of slavery and after. It might be pointed out that even the spirituals or “sorrow songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories—had been Europeanized to make them acceptable within these African American traditions after the Civil War. In 1862 northern White writers had commented favorably on the unique and provocative melodies of these “sorrow songs” when they first heard them sung by slaves in the Carolina sea islands. But by 1916, ten years before the publication of The Weary Blues, Hurry T. Burleigh, the Black baritone soloist at New York’s ultrafashionable Saint George’s Episcopal Church, had published Jubilee Songs of the United States, with every spiritual arranged so that a concert singer could sing it “in the manner of an art song.” Clearly, the artistic work of Black people could be used to promote racial acceptance and integration only on the condition that it became Europeanized.
Even more than his rebellion against this restrictive tradition in African American art, Hughes’s expression of the vibrant folk culture of Black people established his writing as a landmark in the history of African American literature. Most of his folk poems have the distinctive marks of this folk culture’s oral tradition: they contain many instances of naming and enumeration, considerable hyperbole and understatement, and a strong infusion of street-talk rhyming. There is a deceptive veil of artlessness in these poems. Hughes prided himself on being an impromptu and impressionistic writer of poetry. His, he insisted, was not an artfully constructed poetry. Yet an analysis of his dramatic monologues and other poems reveals that his poetry was carefully and artfully crafted. In his folk poetry we find features common to all folk literature, such as dramatic ellipsis, narrative compression, rhythmic repetition, and monosyllabic emphasis. The peculiar mixture of irony and humor we find in his writing is a distinguishing feature of his folk poetry. Together, these aspects of Hughes’s writing helped to modify the previous restrictions on the techniques and subject matter of Black writers and consequently to broaden the linguistic and thematic range of African American literature.
Even more than his rebellion against this restrictive tradition in African American art, Hughes’s expression of the vibrant folk culture of Black people established his writing as a landmark in the history of African American literature. Most of his folk poems have the distinctive marks of this folk culture’s oral tradition: they contain many instances of naming and enumeration, considerable hyperbole and understatement, and a strong infusion of street-talk rhyming. There is a deceptive veil of artlessness in these poems. Hughes prided himself on being an impromptu and impressionistic writer of poetry. His, he insisted, was not an artfully constructed poetry. Yet an analysis of his dramatic monologues and other poems reveals that his poetry was carefully and artfully crafted. In his folk poetry we find features common to all folk literature, such as dramatic ellipsis, narrative compression, rhythmic repetition, and monosyllabic emphasis. The peculiar mixture of irony and humor we find in his writing is a distinguishing feature of his folk poetry. Together, these aspects of Hughes’s writing helped to modify the previous restrictions on the techniques and subject matter of Black writers and consequently to broaden the linguistic and thematic range of African American literature.
1. The author mentions which one of the following as an example of the influence of Black folk culture on Hughes’s poetry?
(A) his exploitation of ambiguous and deceptive meanings
(B) his care and craft in composing poems
(C) his use of naming and enumeration
(D) his use of first-person narrative
(E) his strong religious beliefs
(A) his exploitation of ambiguous and deceptive meanings
(B) his care and craft in composing poems
(C) his use of naming and enumeration
(D) his use of first-person narrative
(E) his strong religious beliefs
2. The author suggests that the “deceptive veil” (Highlighted) in Hughes’s poetry obscures
(A) evidence of his use of oral techniques in his poetry
(B) evidence of his thoughtful deliberation in composing his poems
(C) his scrupulous concern for representative details in his poetry
(D) his incorporation of Western European literary techniques in his poetry
(E) his engagement with social and political issues rather than aesthetic ones
(A) evidence of his use of oral techniques in his poetry
(B) evidence of his thoughtful deliberation in composing his poems
(C) his scrupulous concern for representative details in his poetry
(D) his incorporation of Western European literary techniques in his poetry
(E) his engagement with social and political issues rather than aesthetic ones
3. With which one of the following statements regarding Jubilee Songs of the United States would the author be most likely to agree?
(A) Its publication marked an advance in the intrinsic quality of African American art.
(B) It paved the way for publication of Hughes’s The Weary Blues by making African American art fashionable.
(C) It was an authentic replication of African American spirituals and “sorrow songs”.
(D) It demonstrated the extent to which spirituals were adapted in order to make them more broadly accepted.
(E) It was to the spiritual what Hughes’s The Weary Blues was to secular songs and stories.
(A) Its publication marked an advance in the intrinsic quality of African American art.
(B) It paved the way for publication of Hughes’s The Weary Blues by making African American art fashionable.
(C) It was an authentic replication of African American spirituals and “sorrow songs”.
(D) It demonstrated the extent to which spirituals were adapted in order to make them more broadly accepted.
(E) It was to the spiritual what Hughes’s The Weary Blues was to secular songs and stories.
4. The author most probably mentions the reactions of northern White writers to non-Europeanized “sorrow songs” (Highlighted)in order to
(A) indicate that modes of expression acceptable in the context of slavery in the South were acceptable only to a small number of White writers in the North after the Civil War
(B) contrast White writers earlier appreciation of these songs with the growing tendency after the Civil War to regard Europeanized versions of the songs as more acceptable
(C) show that the requirement that such songs be Europeanized was internal to the African American tradition and was unrelated to the literary standards or attitudes of White writers
(D) demonstrate that such songs in their non-Europeanized form were more imaginative
(E) suggest that White writers benefited more from exposure to African American art forms than Black writers did from exposure to European art forms
(A) indicate that modes of expression acceptable in the context of slavery in the South were acceptable only to a small number of White writers in the North after the Civil War
(B) contrast White writers earlier appreciation of these songs with the growing tendency after the Civil War to regard Europeanized versions of the songs as more acceptable
(C) show that the requirement that such songs be Europeanized was internal to the African American tradition and was unrelated to the literary standards or attitudes of White writers
(D) demonstrate that such songs in their non-Europeanized form were more imaginative
(E) suggest that White writers benefited more from exposure to African American art forms than Black writers did from exposure to European art forms
5. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about the requirement that Black writers employ Western European literary techniques?
(A) The requirement was imposed more for social than for aesthetic reasons.
(B) The requirement was a relatively unimportant aspect of the African American tradition.
(C) The requirement was the chief reason for Hughes’s success as a writer.
(D) The requirement was appropriate for some forms of expression but not for others.
(E) The requirement was never as strong as it may have appeared to be.
(A) The requirement was imposed more for social than for aesthetic reasons.
(B) The requirement was a relatively unimportant aspect of the African American tradition.
(C) The requirement was the chief reason for Hughes’s success as a writer.
(D) The requirement was appropriate for some forms of expression but not for others.
(E) The requirement was never as strong as it may have appeared to be.
6. Which one of the following aspects of Hughes’s poetry does the author appear to value most highly?
(A) its novelty compared to other works of African American literature
(B) its subtle understatement compared to that of other kinds of folk literature
(C) its virtuosity in adapting musical forms to language
(D) its expression of the folk culture of Black people
(E) its universality of appeal achieved through the adoption of colloquial expressions
(A) its novelty compared to other works of African American literature
(B) its subtle understatement compared to that of other kinds of folk literature
(C) its virtuosity in adapting musical forms to language
(D) its expression of the folk culture of Black people
(E) its universality of appeal achieved through the adoption of colloquial expressions
- Source: LSAT Official PrepTest 2 (October 1991)
- Difficulty Level: 700
gmatexam439
GMAT 1: 730 Q49 V41
Posts: 1,064
06 Jan 2018, 11:59
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Got only one wrong: question #4. Below is my reasoning for all the questions. I hope this is helpful for someone.
There is substantial evidence that by 1926, with the publication of The Weary Blues, Langston Hughes had broken with two well-established traditions in African American literature. In The Weary Blues, Hughes chose to modify the traditions that decreed that African American literature must promote racial acceptance and integration, and that, in order to do so, it must reflect an understanding and mastery of Western European literary techniques and styles. Necessarily excluded by this decree, linguistically and thematically, was the vast amount of secular folk material in the oral tradition that had been created by Black people in the years of slavery and after. It might be pointed out that even the spirituals or “sorrow songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories—had been Europeanized to make them acceptable within these African American traditions after the Civil War. In 1862 northern White writers had commented favorably on the unique and provocative melodies of these “sorrow songs” when they first heard them sung by slaves in the Carolina sea islands. But by 1916, ten years before the publication of The Weary Blues, Hurry T. Burleigh, the Black baritone soloist at New York’s ultrafashionable Saint George’s Episcopal Church, had published Jubilee Songs of the United States, with every spiritual arranged so that a concert singer could sing it “in the manner of an art song.” Clearly, the artistic work of Black people could be used to promote racial acceptance and integration only on the condition that it became Europeanized.
Even more than his rebellion against this restrictive tradition in African American art, Hughes’s expression of the vibrant folk culture of Black people established his writing as a landmark in the history of African American literature. Most of his folk poems have the distinctive marks of this folk culture’s oral tradition: they contain many instances of naming and enumeration, considerable hyperbole and understatement, and a strong infusion of street-talk rhyming. There is a deceptive veil of artlessness in these poems. Hughes prided himself on being an impromptu and impressionistic writer of poetry. His, he insisted, was not an artfully constructed poetry. Yet an analysis of his dramatic monologues and other poems reveals that his poetry was carefully and artfully crafted. In his folk poetry we find features common to all folk literature, such as dramatic ellipsis, narrative compression, rhythmic repetition, and monosyllabic emphasis. The peculiar mixture of irony and humor we find in his writing is a distinguishing feature of his folk poetry. Together, these aspects of Hughes’s writing helped to modify the previous restrictions on the techniques and subject matter of Black writers and consequently to broaden the linguistic and thematic range of African American literature.
Even more than his rebellion against this restrictive tradition in African American art, Hughes’s expression of the vibrant folk culture of Black people established his writing as a landmark in the history of African American literature. Most of his folk poems have the distinctive marks of this folk culture’s oral tradition: they contain many instances of naming and enumeration, considerable hyperbole and understatement, and a strong infusion of street-talk rhyming. There is a deceptive veil of artlessness in these poems. Hughes prided himself on being an impromptu and impressionistic writer of poetry. His, he insisted, was not an artfully constructed poetry. Yet an analysis of his dramatic monologues and other poems reveals that his poetry was carefully and artfully crafted. In his folk poetry we find features common to all folk literature, such as dramatic ellipsis, narrative compression, rhythmic repetition, and monosyllabic emphasis. The peculiar mixture of irony and humor we find in his writing is a distinguishing feature of his folk poetry. Together, these aspects of Hughes’s writing helped to modify the previous restrictions on the techniques and subject matter of Black writers and consequently to broaden the linguistic and thematic range of African American literature.
1. The author mentions which one of the following as an example of the influence of Black folk culture on Hughes’s poetry?
--"Most of his folk poems have the distinctive marks of this folk culture’s oral tradition: they contain many instances of naming and enumeration, considerable hyperbole and understatement, and a strong infusion of street-talk rhyming"
(A) his exploitation of ambiguous and deceptive meanings
(B) his care and craft in composing poems
(C) his use of naming and enumeration
(D) his use of first-person narrative
(E) his strong religious beliefs
2. The author suggests that the “deceptive veil” (line 42) in Hughes’s poetry obscures
--"There is a deceptive veil of artlessness in these poems. His, he insisted, was not an artfully constructed poetry. Yet an analysis of his dramatic monologues and other poems reveals that his poetry was carefully and artfully crafted."
(A) evidence of his use of oral techniques in his poetry -Wrong
(B) evidence of his thoughtful deliberation in composing his poems -As highlighted above, his poetry was actually was very thoughfuly written.
(C) his scrupulous concern for representative details in his poetry -No
(D) his incorporation of Western European literary techniques in his poetry -Opposite of what is stated in the passage
(E) his engagement with social and political issues rather than aesthetic ones - Out of scope
3. With which one of the following statements regarding Jubilee Songs of the United States would the author be most likely to agree?
-- the Black baritone soloist at New York’s ultrafashionable Saint George’s Episcopal Church, had published Jubilee Songs of the United States, with every spiritual arranged so that a concert singer could sing it “in the manner of an art song.” Clearly, the artistic work of Black people could be used to promote racial acceptance and integration only on the condition that it became Europeanized.
(A) Its publication marked an advance in the intrinsic quality of African American art. -No. The passage suggests that all such sorrow songs were Europeanised, reducing the intrinsic quality of the art.
(B) It paved the way for publication of Hughes’s The Weary Blues by making African American art fashionable. -Extreme statement
(C) It was an authentic replication of African American spirituals and “sorrow songs”. -Extreme statement without any proof
(D) It demonstrated the extent to which spirituals were adapted in order to make them more broadly accepted. -Correct. Exactly what is suggested by the passage. The songs were Europeanised in order to be accepted by masses.
(E) It was to the spiritual what Hughes’s The Weary Blues was to secular songs and stories. -Can't say
4. The author most probably mentions the reactions of northern White writers to non-Europeanized “sorrow songs” in order to
--I chose C, but B makes more sense. My line of thinking is in line with option B but between B and C I chose C.
--"It might be pointed out that even the spirituals or “sorrow songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories—had been Europeanized to make them acceptable within these African American traditions after the Civil War. In 1862 northern White writers had commented favorably on the unique and provocative melodies of these “sorrow songs” when they first heard them sung by slaves in the Carolina sea islands." ----It can be seen from the above lines that White writers commented favourably even when those songs, which weren't Europeanised, were sung by local people. Still, in order for such songs to be made available to the masses, the songs were essentially Europeanised. This just depicts that Europeanisation wasn't required (unnecessary). Hence, I chose C, but after re-reading B, B makes much more sense and C is out of scope of the passage as such information isn't given anywhere.
(A) indicate that modes of expression acceptable in the context of slavery in the South were acceptable only to a small number of White writers in the North after the Civil War
(B) contrast White writers earlier appreciation of these songs with the growing tendency after the Civil War to regard Europeanized versions of the songs as more acceptable
(C) show that the requirement that such songs be Europeanized was internal to the African American tradition and was unrelated to the literary standards or attitudes of White writers
(D) demonstrate that such songs in their non-Europeanized form were more imaginative
(E) suggest that White writers benefited more from exposure to African American art forms than Black writers did from exposure to European art forms
5. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about the requirement that Black writers employ Western European literary techniques?
--I solved this by POE.
(A) The requirement was imposed more for social than for aesthetic reasons. -Correct
(B) The requirement was a relatively unimportant aspect of the African American tradition. -"African American literature must promote racial acceptance and integration, and that, in order to do so, it must reflect an understanding and mastery of Western European literary techniques and styles" -This deems the requirement important. Thus the option is essentially opposite of what is stated in the passage.
(C) The requirement was the chief reason for Hughes’s success as a writer. -Extreme language. 2 things and not just one thing was responsible for Hughes's success
(D) The requirement was appropriate for some forms of expression but not for others. -No forms of expression other than literature are discussed in the passage
(E) The requirement was never as strong as it may have appeared to be. -Same reason like the one given in B for ditching this option
6. Which one of the following aspects of Hughes’s poetry does the author appear to value most highly?
--"Even more than his rebellion against this restrictive tradition in African American art, Hughes’s expression of the vibrant folk culture of Black people established his writing as a landmark in the history of African American literature."
(A) its novelty compared to other works of African American literature
(B) its subtle understatement compared to that of other kinds of folk literature
(C) its virtuosity in adapting musical forms to language
(D) its expression of the folk culture of Black people
(E) its universality of appeal achieved through the adoption of colloquial expressions
--"Most of his folk poems have the distinctive marks of this folk culture’s oral tradition: they contain many instances of naming and enumeration, considerable hyperbole and understatement, and a strong infusion of street-talk rhyming"
(A) his exploitation of ambiguous and deceptive meanings
(B) his care and craft in composing poems
(C) his use of naming and enumeration
(D) his use of first-person narrative
(E) his strong religious beliefs
2. The author suggests that the “deceptive veil” (line 42) in Hughes’s poetry obscures
--"There is a deceptive veil of artlessness in these poems. His, he insisted, was not an artfully constructed poetry. Yet an analysis of his dramatic monologues and other poems reveals that his poetry was carefully and artfully crafted."
(A) evidence of his use of oral techniques in his poetry -Wrong
(B) evidence of his thoughtful deliberation in composing his poems -As highlighted above, his poetry was actually was very thoughfuly written.
(C) his scrupulous concern for representative details in his poetry -No
(D) his incorporation of Western European literary techniques in his poetry -Opposite of what is stated in the passage
(E) his engagement with social and political issues rather than aesthetic ones - Out of scope
3. With which one of the following statements regarding Jubilee Songs of the United States would the author be most likely to agree?
-- the Black baritone soloist at New York’s ultrafashionable Saint George’s Episcopal Church, had published Jubilee Songs of the United States, with every spiritual arranged so that a concert singer could sing it “in the manner of an art song.” Clearly, the artistic work of Black people could be used to promote racial acceptance and integration only on the condition that it became Europeanized.
(A) Its publication marked an advance in the intrinsic quality of African American art. -No. The passage suggests that all such sorrow songs were Europeanised, reducing the intrinsic quality of the art.
(B) It paved the way for publication of Hughes’s The Weary Blues by making African American art fashionable. -Extreme statement
(C) It was an authentic replication of African American spirituals and “sorrow songs”. -Extreme statement without any proof
(D) It demonstrated the extent to which spirituals were adapted in order to make them more broadly accepted. -Correct. Exactly what is suggested by the passage. The songs were Europeanised in order to be accepted by masses.
(E) It was to the spiritual what Hughes’s The Weary Blues was to secular songs and stories. -Can't say
4. The author most probably mentions the reactions of northern White writers to non-Europeanized “sorrow songs” in order to
--I chose C, but B makes more sense. My line of thinking is in line with option B but between B and C I chose C.
--"It might be pointed out that even the spirituals or “sorrow songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories—had been Europeanized to make them acceptable within these African American traditions after the Civil War. In 1862 northern White writers had commented favorably on the unique and provocative melodies of these “sorrow songs” when they first heard them sung by slaves in the Carolina sea islands." ----It can be seen from the above lines that White writers commented favourably even when those songs, which weren't Europeanised, were sung by local people. Still, in order for such songs to be made available to the masses, the songs were essentially Europeanised. This just depicts that Europeanisation wasn't required (unnecessary). Hence, I chose C, but after re-reading B, B makes much more sense and C is out of scope of the passage as such information isn't given anywhere.
(A) indicate that modes of expression acceptable in the context of slavery in the South were acceptable only to a small number of White writers in the North after the Civil War
(B) contrast White writers earlier appreciation of these songs with the growing tendency after the Civil War to regard Europeanized versions of the songs as more acceptable
(C) show that the requirement that such songs be Europeanized was internal to the African American tradition and was unrelated to the literary standards or attitudes of White writers
(D) demonstrate that such songs in their non-Europeanized form were more imaginative
(E) suggest that White writers benefited more from exposure to African American art forms than Black writers did from exposure to European art forms
5. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about the requirement that Black writers employ Western European literary techniques?
--I solved this by POE.
(A) The requirement was imposed more for social than for aesthetic reasons. -Correct
(B) The requirement was a relatively unimportant aspect of the African American tradition. -"African American literature must promote racial acceptance and integration, and that, in order to do so, it must reflect an understanding and mastery of Western European literary techniques and styles" -This deems the requirement important. Thus the option is essentially opposite of what is stated in the passage.
(C) The requirement was the chief reason for Hughes’s success as a writer. -Extreme language. 2 things and not just one thing was responsible for Hughes's success
(D) The requirement was appropriate for some forms of expression but not for others. -No forms of expression other than literature are discussed in the passage
(E) The requirement was never as strong as it may have appeared to be. -Same reason like the one given in B for ditching this option
6. Which one of the following aspects of Hughes’s poetry does the author appear to value most highly?
--"Even more than his rebellion against this restrictive tradition in African American art, Hughes’s expression of the vibrant folk culture of Black people established his writing as a landmark in the history of African American literature."
(A) its novelty compared to other works of African American literature
(B) its subtle understatement compared to that of other kinds of folk literature
(C) its virtuosity in adapting musical forms to language
(D) its expression of the folk culture of Black people
(E) its universality of appeal achieved through the adoption of colloquial expressions
General Discussion
17 Aug 2018, 02:30
Kudos
Bookmarks
1. The author mentions which one of the following as an example of the influence of Black folk culture on Hughes’s poetry? Relevant text: Most of his folk poems have the distinctive marks of this folk culture’s oral tradition: they contain many instances of naming and enumeration, considerable hyperbole and understatement, and a strong infusion of street-talk rhyming.
(A) his exploitation of ambiguous and deceptive meanings very unlikely: it seems pray upon the word "deceptive veil of"
(B) his care and craft in composing poems not part of the traditional fold poetry
(C) his use of naming and enumeration correct
(D) his use of first-person narrative not given, and, if anything, this is narratives are common among all literature: "In his folk poetry we find features common to all folk literature, such as dramatic ellipsis, narrative compression <...>"
(E) his strong religious beliefs not given
2. The author suggests that the “deceptive veil” (line 42) in Hughes’s poetry obscures Relevant text: There is a deceptive veil of artlessness in these poems. Hughes prided himself on being an impromptu and impressionistic writer of poetry. His, he insisted, was not an artfully constructed poetry. Yet an analysis of his dramatic monologues and other poems reveals that his poetry was carefully and artfully crafted.
(A) evidence of his use of oral techniques in his poetry those were oral traditions, not techniques, and the veil refers to artlessness, which turned out to be not the case
(B) evidence of his thoughtful deliberation in composing his poems He claimed that his writings were more like improvisations than deliberate creation, but the evidence shows on the contrary
(C) his scrupulous concern for representative details in his poetry if anything, "considerable hyperbole and understatement" seem to contradict this
(D) his incorporation of Western European literary techniques in his poetry the passage talks about he broke this tradition - so incorrect
(E) his engagement with social and political issues rather than aesthetic ones not given - a stretch
3. With which one of the following statements regarding Jubilee Songs of the United States would the author be most likely to agree? <...>Hurry T. Burleigh, the Black baritone soloist at New York’s ultrafashionable Saint George’s Episcopal Church, had published Jubilee Songs of the United States, with every spiritual arranged so that a concert singer could sing it “in the manner of an art song.” Clearly, the artistic work of Black people could be used to promote racial acceptance and integration only on the condition that it became Europeanized.
(A) Its publication marked an advance in the intrinsic quality of African American art. Hughes's art was novel not the one that followed the same old tradition
(B) It paved the way for publication of Hughes’s The Weary Blues by making African American art fashionable. the author broke the tradition, and this choice is unlikely correct
(C) It was an authentic replication of African American spirituals and “sorrow songs”. not given whether the author simply collected or created all or some of the spirituals by his or her own
(D) It demonstrated the extent to which spirituals were adapted in order to make them more broadly accepted. correct
(E) It was to the spiritual what Hughes’s The Weary Blues was to secular songs and stories. a stretch
4. The author most probably mentions the reactions of northern White writers to non-Europeanized “sorrow songs” in order to Relevant text: It might be pointed out that even the spirituals or “sorrow songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories—had been Europeanized to make them acceptable within these African American traditions after the Civil War. In 1862 northern White writers had commented favorably on the unique and provocative melodies of these “sorrow songs” when they first heard them sung by slaves in the Carolina sea islands. But by 1916
(A) indicate that modes of expression acceptable in the context of slavery in the South were acceptable only to a small number of White writers in the North after the Civil War if anything, how big or small the number was is not given
(B) contrast White writers earlier appreciation of these songs with the growing tendency after the Civil War to regard Europeanized versions of the songs as more acceptable correct - the songs were favoured even though they were not Europeanized
(C) show that the requirement that such songs be Europeanized was internal to the African American tradition and was unrelated to the literary standards or attitudes of White writers very tempting, but probably incorrect because it's too specific and not explictly stated in terms of the underlined portion, especially White writers - the Europeanized formsof the literature sought universal acceptance
(D) demonstrate that such songs in their non-Europeanized form were more imaginative "the spirituals or “sorrow songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories" - contradicts this idea of being imaginative
(E) suggest that White writers benefited more from exposure to African American art forms than Black writers did from exposure to European art forms there's no information to infer that - the writers just favoured on the melodies
5. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about the requirement that Black writers employ Western European literary techniques? Note: not Hughes. Relevant text: <...> the traditions that decreed that African American literature must promote racial acceptance and integration, and that, in order to do so, it must reflect an understanding and mastery of Western European literary techniques and styles.
(A) The requirement was imposed more for social than for aesthetic reasons. correct
(B) The requirement was a relatively unimportant aspect of the African American tradition. the word "must" indicates quite the opposite
(C) The requirement was the chief reason for Hughes’s success as a writer. Hughes actually broke the tradition
(D) The requirement was appropriate for some forms of expression but not for others. not given
(E) The requirement was never as strong as it may have appeared to be. the end of the first paragraphs proves the contrary: even though White writers favoured non-Europeanized literature, it was still made to fit the European standards to be more acceptable
6. Which one of the following aspects of Hughes’s poetry does the author appear to value most highly? Relevant text: <...>Hughes’s expression of the vibrant folk culture of Black people established his writing as a landmark in the history of African American literature.
(A) its novelty compared to other works of African American literature while it was novel, the passage doesn't compare the work to other works of African Americans
(B) its subtle understatement compared to that of other kinds of folk literature not compared in that regard
(C) its virtuosity in adapting musical forms to language
(D) its expression of the folk culture of Black people correct
(E) its universality of appeal achieved through the adoption of colloquial expressions
(A) his exploitation of ambiguous and deceptive meanings very unlikely: it seems pray upon the word "deceptive veil of"
(B) his care and craft in composing poems not part of the traditional fold poetry
(C) his use of naming and enumeration correct
(D) his use of first-person narrative not given, and, if anything, this is narratives are common among all literature: "In his folk poetry we find features common to all folk literature, such as dramatic ellipsis, narrative compression <...>"
(E) his strong religious beliefs not given
2. The author suggests that the “deceptive veil” (line 42) in Hughes’s poetry obscures Relevant text: There is a deceptive veil of artlessness in these poems. Hughes prided himself on being an impromptu and impressionistic writer of poetry. His, he insisted, was not an artfully constructed poetry. Yet an analysis of his dramatic monologues and other poems reveals that his poetry was carefully and artfully crafted.
(A) evidence of his use of oral techniques in his poetry those were oral traditions, not techniques, and the veil refers to artlessness, which turned out to be not the case
(B) evidence of his thoughtful deliberation in composing his poems He claimed that his writings were more like improvisations than deliberate creation, but the evidence shows on the contrary
(C) his scrupulous concern for representative details in his poetry if anything, "considerable hyperbole and understatement" seem to contradict this
(D) his incorporation of Western European literary techniques in his poetry the passage talks about he broke this tradition - so incorrect
(E) his engagement with social and political issues rather than aesthetic ones not given - a stretch
3. With which one of the following statements regarding Jubilee Songs of the United States would the author be most likely to agree? <...>Hurry T. Burleigh, the Black baritone soloist at New York’s ultrafashionable Saint George’s Episcopal Church, had published Jubilee Songs of the United States, with every spiritual arranged so that a concert singer could sing it “in the manner of an art song.” Clearly, the artistic work of Black people could be used to promote racial acceptance and integration only on the condition that it became Europeanized.
(A) Its publication marked an advance in the intrinsic quality of African American art. Hughes's art was novel not the one that followed the same old tradition
(B) It paved the way for publication of Hughes’s The Weary Blues by making African American art fashionable. the author broke the tradition, and this choice is unlikely correct
(C) It was an authentic replication of African American spirituals and “sorrow songs”. not given whether the author simply collected or created all or some of the spirituals by his or her own
(D) It demonstrated the extent to which spirituals were adapted in order to make them more broadly accepted. correct
(E) It was to the spiritual what Hughes’s The Weary Blues was to secular songs and stories. a stretch
4. The author most probably mentions the reactions of northern White writers to non-Europeanized “sorrow songs” in order to Relevant text: It might be pointed out that even the spirituals or “sorrow songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories—had been Europeanized to make them acceptable within these African American traditions after the Civil War. In 1862 northern White writers had commented favorably on the unique and provocative melodies of these “sorrow songs” when they first heard them sung by slaves in the Carolina sea islands. But by 1916
(A) indicate that modes of expression acceptable in the context of slavery in the South were acceptable only to a small number of White writers in the North after the Civil War if anything, how big or small the number was is not given
(B) contrast White writers earlier appreciation of these songs with the growing tendency after the Civil War to regard Europeanized versions of the songs as more acceptable correct - the songs were favoured even though they were not Europeanized
(C) show that the requirement that such songs be Europeanized was internal to the African American tradition and was unrelated to the literary standards or attitudes of White writers very tempting, but probably incorrect because it's too specific and not explictly stated in terms of the underlined portion, especially White writers - the Europeanized formsof the literature sought universal acceptance
(D) demonstrate that such songs in their non-Europeanized form were more imaginative "the spirituals or “sorrow songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories" - contradicts this idea of being imaginative
(E) suggest that White writers benefited more from exposure to African American art forms than Black writers did from exposure to European art forms there's no information to infer that - the writers just favoured on the melodies
5. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about the requirement that Black writers employ Western European literary techniques? Note: not Hughes. Relevant text: <...> the traditions that decreed that African American literature must promote racial acceptance and integration, and that, in order to do so, it must reflect an understanding and mastery of Western European literary techniques and styles.
(A) The requirement was imposed more for social than for aesthetic reasons. correct
(B) The requirement was a relatively unimportant aspect of the African American tradition. the word "must" indicates quite the opposite
(C) The requirement was the chief reason for Hughes’s success as a writer. Hughes actually broke the tradition
(D) The requirement was appropriate for some forms of expression but not for others. not given
(E) The requirement was never as strong as it may have appeared to be. the end of the first paragraphs proves the contrary: even though White writers favoured non-Europeanized literature, it was still made to fit the European standards to be more acceptable
6. Which one of the following aspects of Hughes’s poetry does the author appear to value most highly? Relevant text: <...>Hughes’s expression of the vibrant folk culture of Black people established his writing as a landmark in the history of African American literature.
(A) its novelty compared to other works of African American literature while it was novel, the passage doesn't compare the work to other works of African Americans
(B) its subtle understatement compared to that of other kinds of folk literature not compared in that regard
(C) its virtuosity in adapting musical forms to language
(D) its expression of the folk culture of Black people correct
(E) its universality of appeal achieved through the adoption of colloquial expressions
