Through the glamour of the Colonial we are forced to acknowledge the

Question

Through the glamour of the Colonial era we are forced to acknowledge the classic charm shown in late seventeenth and early eighteenth century window designs. Developed as they were by American carpenters who were stimulated by remembrance of their early impressions of English architecture received in the mother land, there is no precise or spiritless copy of English details; rather there is expressed a vitality that has been brought out by earnest effort to reproduce the spirit desired. Undoubtedly the lasting success of early American craftsmanship has been due to the perfect treatment of proportions, as related one to the other. That these are not imitations is proved by an occasional clumsiness which would be impossible, if they were exact copies of their more highly refined English prototypes.

The grasp of the builder's mind is vividly revealed in the construction of these windows for, while blunders are often made, successes are much more frequent. They are evolved from remembered motives that have been unified and balanced, that they might accord with the exterior and be knitted successfully into the interior trim. Some of these windows still grace seventeenth century houses, and are found not only on old southern plantations, but all through New England, especially along the sea coast. True products are they of Colonial craftsmanship, brought into existence by skilled artisans who have performed their work so perfectly that today they are found unimpaired, striking a dominant note in accord with the architectural feeling of the period.

There is no question that windows such as these lend character to any house, provided, of course, that they coincide with the period. Doubtless the designing of modified Colonial houses is responsible, in part, for the present-day revival of interest, not solely in windows of the Colonial period, but also in that which immediately preceded and followed it.   1 
 1. Which of the following can be concluded about the colonial windows made by American craftsmen?

A. Some of them were blatantly copied from the English windows
B. They may not have been of the same quality as the windows in England
C. They were free from all blemishes
D. They have been copied by craftsmen from other countries
E. They were primarily found in the Southern plantation areas

2 
 2. How does the author prove that the American windows are not a copy of the English ones?

A. By pointing out that the American carpenters added their own vitality and expression to these windows
B. By highlighting that the American windows have a slightly different design from the English ones
C. By providing examples of craftsmen who had never visited England and yet who have successfully made these windows
D. By pointing out the occasional flaw in the design of these windows
E. By stating that the proportions of the American windows were different from the English ones

3 
 3. Which of the following would the author of the passage NOT agree with?

A. The American colonial windows were not copies of the English ones
B. Colonial windows have always been popular in America
C. Colonial windows can make a house with any design look more graceful
D. American colonial windows were not as refined as the English ones
E. The American craftsmen used their memory to design these windows

4 
 4. According to the information in the passage, which of these could be a characteristic of American colonial windows?

A. Unmatched levels of refinement
B. Well-proportioned design
C. Use of high quality wood
D. Asymmetric design
E. Standing out in the design of a house

Gmatsaiyan · Accepted Answer

Official Answers and Explanations 
Q1) Which of the following can be concluded about the colonial windows made by American craftsmen?
A. Some of them were blatantly copied from the English windows
 B. They may not have been of the same quality as the windows in England 
C. They were free from all blemishes
D. They have been copied by craftsmen from other countries
E. They were primarily found in the Southern plantation areas
The last line of the 1st para states that the English windows were much more refined than the American ones. 
 Hence (B) should be the answer. 
A – The author states that they were never blatantly copied
C – The author states that the some of these windows were occasionally clumsy
D – This might be true of the English windows but not of the American ones
E – The 2nd para states that they are found in several other areas as well

Q2) How does the author prove that the American windows are not a copy of the English ones?
A. By pointing out that the American carpenters added their own vitality and expression to these windows
B. By highlighting that the American windows have a slightly different design from the English ones
C. By providing examples of craftsmen who had never visited England and yet who have successfully made these windows
 D. By pointing out the occasional flaw in the design of these windows 
E. By stating that the proportions of the American windows were different from the English ones
At the end of the 1st para the author states that the American windows are not an imitation because of the occasional clumsiness in their design. 
 Hence (D) should be the correct answer 
A – While this is true, the author does not use this fact to prove that American windows were not copies
B – The author highlights no such fact
C – The passage never discusses any such craftsmen
E – The passage never states this either

Q3) Which of the following would the author of the passage NOT agree with?
A. The American colonial windows were not copies of the English ones
B. Colonial windows have always been popular in America
 C. Colonial windows can make a house with any design look more graceful 
D. American colonial windows were not as refined as the English ones
E. The American craftsmen used their memory to design these windows
 The author states in the last para that colonial windows can make any house with a colonial design look good. Hence he would not agree with (C), the correct answer. 
A – The author makes this point at the beginning of the passage itself
B – This can also be inferred from the passage
D – This can be inferred from the last line of the 1st para
E – The author refers to the craftsmens‘ remembrances and remembered motives while describing how they constructed these windows. This shows that the craftsmen did indeed used their memory to design these windows

Q4) According to the information in the passage, which of these could be a characteristic
of American colonial windows?
A. Unmatched levels of refinement
 B. Well-proportioned design 
C. Use of high quality wood
D. Asymmetric design
E. Standing out in the design of a house
The first paragraph states that the reason for the lasting success of these windows in America are the perfect proportions of these windows. 
 Hence (B) should be the answer. 
A – The author actually states that the English windows were more refined than the American ones
C – The passage never mentions ‗wood‘ anywhere
D – The 2nd para actually states these windows had a very well balanced design
E – Again the 2nd para implies that these windows blended with the exteriors and interiors of a house very nicely, so they definitely did not stand out

Gmatsaiyan · Answer

Topic and Scope 
The passage discusses colonial window designs that were recreated by American carpenters and concludes that such windows lend character to a house
 Passage Map 
Para 1 states that even though American carpenters picked up colonial window designs from the English, they did not blatantly copy these designs but rather introduced some aspect of their earnestness into the same
Para 2 praises the craftsmen who have built these windows and states that these windows can still be found in houses in certain parts of the country
Para 3 concludes that these windows add character to any house as long as the house has a colonial design and that the revival of interest in these windows can partly be attributed to the revival of interest in colonial houses

nityakaul02 · Answer

There are passages in 700 level which are understandable but some are not . Though they are of same difficulty level , then why this is so ??

bM22 · Answer

Hi  nityakaul02 ,

A similar difficulty level of the passages doesn't always necessarily mean that they have a similar level of reading. The difficulty levels could be set on various levels. Understanding and interpretation of any passage, irrespective of the difficulty level, mostly depends on the person reading it. Some people might not find the above passage as tough as you did and vice versa.

My Suggestion: Continue reading the passages, try to summarize them para wise when you read them(better way is to note down the points). It will help you understand what the passage is actually trying to convey, and if you have any doubts, you can always post it on the forum.

Thanks.

Linhtang · Answer

Experts, please share some of your ideas about this passage. Can you note the ideas down so that we can learn your noting style? It took me 11m for this passage because noting down took so much time. Thank you.

bM22 · Answer

Hi  Linhtang ,

I'll share my understanding of the passage para wise, let me know if it helps.

P1: The passage starts with discussing how the American carpenters recreated the colonial window designs, but putting in some of their earnest efforts, and not simply copying the designs, and that the proof of their craftsmanship is visible from the perfect proportions.

P2: The author goes on to discuss how the carpenters used memory to recreate the windows, some of which can still be found adding grace to some seventeenth century houses, which proves the excellent craftsmanship.

P3: These colonial design add character to any house that coincides with the Colonial period and that the credit for revival of interest in Colonial windows can be attributed to the designing of modern Colonial houses.

Thanks.

brains · Answer

Q1) Which of the following can be concluded about the colonial windows made by American craftsmen?

A. Some of them were blatantly copied from the English windows  ( No mention about blantantly copying. Eliminate) 
B. They may not have been of the same quality as the windows in England  This is mentioned in last sentence of First Para 
C. They were free from all blemishes  Author mentioned that there were flaws. Hence eliminate 
D. They have been copied by craftsmen from other countries  No mention that they were copied from other countries. Eliminate 
E. They were primarily found in the Southern plantation areas  Again . No mentioned about primarily found in Southern areas. Eliminate 
Hence answer is B

Q2) How does the author prove that the American windows are not a copy of the English ones?

A. By pointing out that the American carpenters added their own vitality and expression to these windows
B. By highlighting that the American windows have a slightly different design from the English ones
C. By providing examples of craftsmen who had never visited England and yet who have successfully made these windows
D. By pointing out the occasional flaw in the design of these windows
E. By stating that the proportions of the American windows were different from the English ones

Easy one: refer again last sentence of 1st para (**That these are not imitations is proved by an occasional clumsiness which would be impossible, if they were exact copies of their more highly refined English prototypes.**) Hence Answer is  D

Which of the following would the author of the passage NOT agree with?

A. The American colonial windows were not copies of the English ones (  The author agrees that they were not copies as mentioned in 1st para. Eliminate  _)
B. Colonial windows have always been popular in America (  The author accepts that they have been popular as menioned in almost every para giving examples of southern area, new England and America. Eliminate  
C. Colonial windows can make a house with any design look more graceful(  The author states in the last para that colonial windows make house graceful. Hence he would not agree with this. This must be the answer 
D. American colonial windows were not as refined as the English ones ( The author agrees as mentioned in 1st para that American col windows had flaws . Eliminate 
E. The American craftsmen used their memory to design these windows ( The author agrees and mentioned in 2nd para , 2nd sentence. Eliminate 
Hence answer is C

According to the information in the passage, which of these could be a characteristic of American colonial windows?

A. Unmatched levels of refinement
B. Well-proportioned design (
C. Use of high quality wood
D. Asymmetric design
E. Standing out in the design of a house
 
Look for the answer direct with PoE. Refer this lines  Undoubtedly the lasting success of early American craftsmanship has been due to the perfect treatment of proportions, as related one to the other. . Hence answer is B

gullyboy09 · Answer

Hi  Bunuel ,  KarishmaB , in the last passage it's written - "...for the present-day revival of interest", if revival has happened, it means they were not popular all the time! And if that's a case, then option B in Q3 can also be correct.

Q3) Which of the following would the author of the passage  NOT agree  with?

A. The American colonial windows were not copies of the English ones
 B. Colonial windows have always been popular in America 
C. Colonial windows can make a house with any design look more graceful
D. American colonial windows were not as refined as the English ones
E. The American craftsmen used their memory to design these windows

guddo · Answer

3. Which of the following would the author of the passage NOT agree with?

The passage praises Colonial windows for their charm, craftsmanship, and proportion.  The main point  is that these windows are admired as original American creations inspired by English models, and that they add character to a house  only when they fit the architectural period .

A. The American colonial windows were not copies of the English ones

The author would agree. The passage explicitly says they were not precise copies of English details.

B. Colonial windows have always been popular in America

This is not clearly supported, but it is not the best answer. The passage mentions a present-day revival of interest, which suggests renewed interest, but the author does not focus on popularity across all times.

C. Colonial windows can make a house with any design look more graceful

This is the best answer. The author would not agree, because the passage clearly says such windows lend character to a house only if they coincide with the period. So not just any design.

D. American colonial windows were not as refined as the English ones

The author would agree. The passage refers to the English versions as “more highly refined.”

E. The American craftsmen used their memory to design these windows

The author would agree. The passage says they were developed from remembered impressions and motives.

Answer: (C)

Through the glamour of the Colonial we are forced to acknowledge the

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Through the glamour of the Colonial we are forced to acknowledge the

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