Explanations:
1. According to the passage, Fogel, Engerman, Genovese, and Gutman have done which of the following?
I. Discounted the influence of plantation owners on slaves' achievements. -
Only Gutman discounted it, not everyone. So, this option is wrong.II. Emphasized the achievements of slaves. -
Everyone did emphasize on it. This is correct.III. Pointed out the prevalence of the two-parent household among slaves. -
Gutman's study talks about it further but Everyone pointed it out. This is correct.IV. Showed the connection between stable monogamy and slaves' cultural heritage. -
Only Gutman showed it, not everyone. This is wrong.
Only 2 and 3 are right. Thus, answer option (C).
2. With which of the following statements regarding the resources that historians ought to use would the author of the passage be most likely to agree?
2nd Paragraph 1st Line: Gutman recreates the family and extended kinship structure mainly through ingenious use of what any historian should draw upon, quantifiable data, derived in this case mostly from plantation birth registers.This says Historians should draw upon quntifiable data. Two close options (C) and (D).
(C) Historians should rely
exclusively on data that can be quantified. - EXCLUSIVELY is a very strong word used here so that eliminates this option.
(D) Historians ought to make use of data that can be quantified. - This matches well with the passage.
Thus, the answer option (D).
3. Which of the following statements about the formation of the Black heritage of folklore, music, and religious expression is best supported by the information presented in the passage?
(A) The heritage was formed
primarily out of the experiences of those slaves who attempted to preserve the stability of their families. -
PRIMARILY is a very strong word here. Passage says The stability ENCOURAGED and it is not the PRIMARY reason(2nd Paragraph last line).(B) The heritage was not formed out of the experiences of those slaves who married their cousins. -
This is not supported from the passage.(C) The heritage was formed more out of the African than out of the American experiences of slaves. -
Not supported from the passage.(D) The heritage was not formed out of the experiences of only a single generation of slaves. -
From 2nd paragraph last line, "folklore, music, and religious expression from one generation to another ", this tells that the transmission took place from one generation to another.(E) The heritage was formed primarily out of slaves' experiences of interdependence on newly created plantations in the Southwest. -
Not supported in the passage(D) is a good match.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that, of the following, the most probable reason why a historian of slavery might be interested in studying the type of plantations mentioned is that this type would
2nd Paragraph mid way:
he shows that the slaves' preference, revealed most clearly on plantations where sale was infrequent, was very much for stable monogamy.Answer option should talk about slaves preferences.
(A) give the historian access to the most complete plantation birth registers -
That particular plantation was referred to know slaves preferences not for the birth register.(B) permit the historian to observe the kinship patterns that had been most popular among West African tribes -
Kinship comes in 3rd paragraph. And, we are looking for slaves preferences.(C) provide the historian with evidence concerning the preference of freed slaves for stable monogamy -
This plantation hosted people who are slaves and not freed slaves. Hence, this is wrong.(D) furnish the historian with the opportunity to discover the kind of marital commitment that slaves themselves chose to have - T
his matches exactly with the lines quoted above.(E) allow the historian to examine the influence of slaves' preferences on the actions of plantation owners -
Opposite of what we are looking for. We are looking for an option where slaves preferences were independent from outside influences(plantation owners).5. According to the passage, all of the following are true of the West African rules governing marriage mentioned EXCEPT:
EXCEPT question. We have to find out what is false.
3rd Paragraph: This preference for exogamy, Gutman suggests, may have derived from West African rules governing marriage, which, though
they differed from one tribal group to another, all involved some kind of prohibition against unions with close kin.'
(A) The rules were derived from rules governing fictive kinship arrangements. -
There were rules regd kinship marriages. But no other rules were derived from it. (B) The rules forbade marriages between close kin. -
TRUE(C) The rules are mentioned in Herbert Gutman's study. -
From the text highlighted, the author says rules differed from one tribe to another. Thus, the author will be aware of the rules only if he knew the West African rules before or if it is mentioned in the book. If we didn't have option A, this would be okay since we have an ambiguity.(D) The rules were not uniform in all respects from one West African tribe to another. -
TRUE(E) The rules have been considered to be a possible source of slaves' marriage preferences. -
TRUE(A) is correct.
6. Which of the following statements concerning the marriage practices of plantation owners during the period of Black slavery in the United States can most logically be inferred from the information in the passage?
3rd paragraph 2nd line:
an exogamous tendency that contrasted sharply with the endogamy practiced by the plantation ownersThis talks about the marriage practice done by Plantation owners. They prefered endogamy.(i.e. marrying within close family: cousins)
(A) These practices began to alter sometime around the mid-eighteenth century. -
No support from the passage(B) These practices varied markedly from one region of the country to another. -
No support from the passage(C) Plantation owners usually based their choice of marriage partners on economic considerations. -
No support from the passage(D) Plantation owners often married earlier than slaves. -
No support from the passage(E) Plantation owners often married their cousins. -
This is mentioned in the passage(E) is correct.
7. W.hich of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
(A) The author compares and contrasts the work of several historians and then discusses areas for possible new research. -
Author compares only in the first para and doesn't discuss areas of new research(B) The author presents his thesis, draws on the work of several historians for evidence to support his thesis, and concludes by reiterating his thesis. -
It is not the author's thesis. It is Gutman's. And draws mainly from Gutman's work not several historians. This option is wrong on many levels.(C) The author describes some features of a historical study and then uses those features to put forth his own argument. -
He doesn't put his own argument.(D) The author summarizes a historical study, examines two main arguments from the study, and then shows how the arguments are potentially in conflict with one another. -
There is no potential conflict in the passage(E) The author presents the general argument of a historical study, describes the study in more detail, and concludes with a brief judgment of the study's value. -
This matches with the structure of the argument. 1st paragraph talks about the achievement of slaves coz of kinship. 2nd and 3rd talks in detail and ends with a judgement of the study saying it is reasoned well and gives original explanation.(E) is correct.
8. Which of the following is the most appropriate title for the passage, based on its content?
The title should resemble how Gutman's study is a comprehensive explanation of the slaves achievements.(A) The Influence of Herbert Gutman on Historians of Slavery in the United States -
Out of scope. The passage doesn't talk about the influence he had on other historians.(B) Gutman's Explanation of How Slaves Could Maintain a Cultural Heritage and Develop a Communal Consciousness -
Matches with our main idea.(C) Slavery in the United States: New Controversy About an Old Subject -
No controversy in the passage(D) The Black Heritage of Folklore, Music, and Religious Expression: Its Growing Influence -
We don't know anything about the growing influence. And this misses out Gutman.(E) The Black Family and Extended Kinship Structure: How They Were Important for the Freed Slave -
The passage only talks a little about Freed Slave. Hence, this one can't be the title.(B) is the answer.
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