Along with Egypt and Sumer, the third major early Bronze Age civilizat

Question

Along with Egypt and Sumer, the third major early Bronze Age civilization was the Indus Valley civilization, which flourished from 2600 B.C. to 900 B.C. In geographic size, the Indus Valley civilization was the largest ancient urban civilization, bigger than pharaonic Egypt. Centered on the Indus River and the now dry Ghaggar-Hakra River, it comprised about 1,400 settlements across what is now Pakistan, Afghanistan, and northwestern India. The Indus Valley civilization was long considered archaeologically uninteresting because of its ordinary urban architecture and lack of palaces or citadels, but recent excavations show the civilization to be without parallel in history, displaying characteristics not elsewhere united in a single civilization.

The Indus Valley people, masters of urban planning, built brick cities on flood-proof terraces with grids of long, straight streets and the first urban sewer systems, made of masonry. No signs of dominant rulers have been found, and the cities' living quarters show little sign of class distinction, suggesting that their system of government was, at least in part, democratic. The civilization also apparently thrived without armies—there is, for example, no evidence of weapon production.

The Indus Valley people were the first to cultivate rice and cotton, and they developed a carefully organized agricultural system to produce and distribute food. In addition, the Indus Valley civilization was one of the ancient world's top traders. Examples of its standardized weights have been found in many harbors around the Arabian Sea, and Sumerian tablets inscribed in 2300 B.C. provide evidence that the Indus Valley people maintained trade with Mesopotamia.

The causes of the civilization's decline, however, are not certain, and this has produced the most contention among scholars. A long-standing theory, one that today still inhabits history books, was proposed by British archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler in the 1920s and points to a final massacre by marauding Indo-Aryan invaders. But, in addition to a lack of written evidence of such an event in any ancient Indian records, there is no archaeological evidence of battles within the cities. In fact, new excavations show that Indo-Aryans were not even in the region at the time the massacre was alleged to have taken place. Archaeological evidence also shows a later resurgence of the civilization a substantial distance to the south of its original location. This suggests that the Indus Valley people most likely relocated for catastrophic environmental reasons, with the large empire disintegrating into many regional cultures. Severe drought, of which there is evidence, may have made some lands unfarmable. Without enough grain to feed the large urban populations, many of the Indus Valley civilization's large cities would probably have been abandoned. Or, a massive earthquake in this seismically volatile region may have changed the course of rivers and disrupted many cities, spurring a migration of refugees to the countryside.    1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

(A) Recent evidence sheds new light on the Indus Valley civilization and calls into question some of the views held previously by archaeologists regarding its significance and decline.
(B) Bronze Age civilizations, including that of the Indus Valley, have not been properly recognized for their cultural achievements.
(C) The Indus Valley civilization played an important role in the evolution of democracy and modern agriculture.
(D) The Indus Valley civilization is a historically significant culture, but there is not enough evidence to draw legitimate conclusions about the cultural practices of its people.
(E) Certain long-held assumptions about the decline of the Indus Valley civilization exemplify how scholars can be led to incorrect conclusions by incomplete data.

2 
 2. Which one of the following is NOT cited in the passage as a characteristic of the Indus Valley civilization?

(A) It was geographically the largest of the major Bronze Age civilizations.
(B) Its people cultivated rice.
(C) Its people were generally nomadic.
(D) It was a major trader.
(E) It was spread across an area that is now part of three nations.

3 
 3. Based on the passage, which one of the following most accurately describes the author's stance regarding Wheeler's theory?

(A) enthusiastic appreciation of its contributions to the field of archaeology
(B) grudging approval of those aspects of the theory that have not been refuted by recent research
(C) slight disagreement with its assumptions, mixed with respect for its venerable status
(D) offhanded dismissal of it as a theory not worthy of scholarly attention
(E) unambiguous rejection of it in light of newly conducted excavations

4 
 4. Which one of the following is cited in the passage as evidence that directly counters Wheeler's theory?

(A) The Indus Valley is a seismically volatile region.
(B) There are no findings that indicate battles within Bronze Age Indus Valley cities.
(C) There is evidence of severe drought in the Indus Valley at the time of the Bronze Age. 
(D) No signs of dominant rulers of the Indus Valley civilization have been found at excavation sites. 
(E) The Indus Valley people practiced agriculture.

5 
 5. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) Because the Indus Valley region is prone to earthquakes, it is most likely that an earthquake destroyed the Indus Valley civilization.
(B) Only a disaster as catastrophic as an earthquake would have caused the demise of a civilization as sophisticated as the Indus Valley civilization.
(C) Archaeologists' understanding of the decline of the Indus Valley civilization would benefit from a search for signs of earthquake damage in its cities.
(D) The cities of the Indus Valley civilization should have been better prepared for the possibility of a major earthquake.
(E) The demise of the Indus Valley civilization was most likely caused by the catastrophic alteration of the courses of its major rivers.

6 
 6. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about archaeological investigations. into the Indus Valley civilization?

(A) Archaeological data on the civilization were controlled by a small group of scholars for many years, leading to unfounded conclusions.
(B) It is only in recent years that scholars have gathered evidence sufficient to enable them to reach credible conclusions regarding the civilization.
(C) The Sumerian tablets that provide evidence of trade with the civilization contain the only known references to the civilization in ancient written records.
(D) While an adequate amount of archaeological data on the civilization has existed for many decades, most of it has been misinterpreted.
(E) The most recent archaeological investigations into the civilization are part of a broader trend in archaeology to avoid overreliance on written evidence.

Nielgmat · Answer

Lets try the PoE method.

5. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) Because the Indus Valley region is prone to earthquakes, it is most likely that an earthquake destroyed the Indus Valley civilization.
 The author mentions Earthquake as a reason for change of course of rivers and not directly responsible for destruction of the civilisation. 
"Or, a massive earthquake in this seismically volatile region may have changed the course of rivers and disrupted many cities, spurring a migration of refugees to the countryside."

(B)  Only  a disaster as catastrophic as an earthquake would have caused the demise of a civilization as sophisticated as the Indus Valley civilization.
 'Only' is too extreme. Author is open to other possible causes also  .

(D) The cities of the Indus Valley civilization should have been better prepared for the possibility of a major earthquake.
 Nowhere does the author express this opinion.

(E) The demise of the Indus Valley civilization was most likely caused by the catastrophic alteration of the courses of its major rivers.
 The author cites "catastrophic alteration of the courses of its major rivers." as a reason for the migration of people and not demise of the civilisation.

That leaves with Option C. 
 (C) Archaeologists' understanding of the decline of the Indus Valley civilization would benefit from a search for signs of earthquake damage in its cities. 
There is no direct reference to this in the passage. However it can be inferred. The 1st para mentions that recent excavations have changed the existing perceptions about Indus valley Civilisation. Then in the last para, the author begins by saying "The causes of the civilization's decline, however, are not certain,....." (This line could also be used to eliminate options A, B and E). Thereafter the author dismisses a theory put forth by one scholar and speculates about a couple more as possible reasons. Thus it can be inferred that further excavations/search for signs of earthquake damage may increase understanding of the decline of the civilisation.

Hope this helps.
By the way, I chose option E. Kept looking for some direct reference, and thought E was the "most agreeable" to the author. However in Verbal, we need to reject 4 wrong answer and find one correct answer. So eliminating Option C on solid grounds was required, and that is where I failed - dismissed it outright without thinking much.

MartyMurray · Answer

Here's an explanation for Question 5.

5. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) Because the Indus Valley region is prone to earthquakes, it is most likely that an earthquake destroyed the Indus Valley civilization.

Scanning the passage for "earthquakes," we see that it says the following:

Or, a massive earthquake in this seismically volatile region may have changed the course of rivers and disrupted many cities, spurring a migration of refugees to the countryside.

We see that the author mentions earthquakes as one possible cause of the disappearance of the Indus Valley civilization, not as the "most likely" cause.

So, in saying "it is most likely," this choice goes beyond what's supported by the passage.

Eliminate

(B) Only a disaster as catastrophic as an earthquake would have caused the demise of a civilization as sophisticated as the Indus Valley civilization.

The author says that evidence "suggests" that a major disaster caused the demise of the Indus Valley civilization but does not generalize that statement to one about "a civilization as sophisticated as the Indus Valley civilization." In other words the author does not suggest that the demise of any such civilization would be caused only by "a disaster as catastrophic as an earthquake."

So, this choice is not supported by the passage.

Eliminate.

(C) Archaeologists' understanding of the decline of the Indus Valley civilization would benefit from a search for signs of earthquake damage in its cities.

The author says the following about "understanding of the decline of the Indus Valley civilization."

The causes of the civilization's decline, however, are not certain

Then, later in the passage the author suggests the following:

Or, a massive earthquake in this seismically volatile region may have changed the course of rivers and disrupted many cities, spurring a migration of refugees to the countryside.

Given that the author says that the causes of the decline are "not certain" and indicates that one possible cause of the decline is "a massive earthquake," it makes sense that the author "would agree" that "Archaeologists' understanding of the decline of the Indus Valley civilization would benefit from a search for signs of earthquake damage in its cities." After all, such a search would likely help archeologists to determine whether a massive earthquake was indeed the cause of the decline.

Now, since the passage mentions that an earthquake may have spurred a "migration" whereas this choice mentions "the decline," some people may be reluctant to choose this choice because a "migration" may be different from a "decline." Here's the thing though.

The discussion of an earthquake causing migration appears in the context of the author's discussion of "the causes of the civilization's decline." Also, the author says that a disaster could have caused "the large empire disintegrating into many regional cultures," which would be a type of decline. So, we can presume that the author considers "migration of refugees to the countryside" a decline in the Indus Valley civilization, particularly since the author uses the word "refugees," which has connotations of a decline in circumstances associated with forced fleeing from a disaster.

So, this choice is supported by the passage.

Keep.

(D) The cities of the Indus Valley civilization should have been better prepared for the possibility of a major earthquake.

The author neither says or implies anything about the level of preparation for an earthquake of the cities of the Indus Valley civilization or what the cities "should" have done.

Also, the author doesn't even conclude that earthquakes caused the demise of the Indus Valley civilization.

Eliminate.

(E) The demise of the Indus Valley civilization was most likely caused by the catastrophic alteration of the courses of its major rivers.

Scanning the passage for information on "alteration of the courses of its major rivers," we see the following:

a massive earthquake in this seismically volatile region may have changed the course of rivers and disrupted many cities

We see that the author mentions "alteration," or change of the courses of rivers as one possible cause of the disappearance of the Indus Valley civilization, not as the "most likely" cause.

So, in saying "was most likely caused," this choice goes beyond what the passage supports.

Eliminate.

The correct answer is (C).

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about archaeological investigations. into the Indus Valley civilization?

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

Step 1: Identify the Question Type

The question asks for something with which the author is  “most likely to agree,”  making this an Inference question.

Step 2: Research the Relevant Text

The question asks about archaeological investigations into the Indus Valley civilization. That’s discussed generally in the first paragraph, with the remaining paragraphs providing details gleaned from recent investigations.

Step 3: Make a Prediction

There are lots of details in the passage, so start by identifying the major themes. The first paragraph shows how the civilization was  “long considered archaeologically uninteresting”  but is now being seen as  “without parallel”  thanks to recent investigations. The next two paragraphs provide evidence from those recent investigations. And the last paragraph shows how recent investigations counter at least one longstanding theory and provide evidence for alternate theories. Start with those ideas, and use clues in the answer choices to do research as necessary.

Step 4: Evaluate the Answer Choices

(B)  is correct. This is supported by the first and last paragraphs. In the first paragraph, it’s only the recent research that has revealed evidence of the region’s unique nature. And in the last paragraph, the recent research is responsible for countering a long-standing theory that now looks to be unreliable.

(A)  is Out of Scope. There is no suggestion that any data was controlled by a small group of scholars.

(C)  is Extreme. The Sumerian tablets mentioned in lines 32–34 do refer to the civilization, but there’s no indication that those tablets contain the only written references.

(D)  is an Extreme Distortion. The author never says that archaeologists have misinterpreted most data. In fact, the author never suggests an misinterpretation at all. It’s just that the new data provides a more complete picture that was previously unknown.

(E)  is Out of Scope. There is no suggestion of any recent trends in archaeology in general, nor is there any indication that archaeologists rely too much on written evidence.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. Based on the passage, which one of the following most accurately describes the author's stance regarding Wheeler's theory?

Difficulty Level:   550

Explanation

Step 1: Identify the Question Type

The question asks for the  “author’s stance”  on Wheeler’s theory, as  “based on the passage.”  That makes this an Inference question.

Step 2: Research the Relevant Text

Wheeler’s theory is in the fourth paragraph, and the author’s reaction to that theory begins on  line 41.

Step 3: Make a Prediction

Wheeler’s theory is about the cause of the civilization’s decline. Wheeler claims the people were massacred by Indo-Aryans. But, the author is quick to dismiss that theory by pointing out the  “lack of written evidence” (line 42)  as well as the lack of  “archaeological evidence” (lines 44–45).  And the author goes on to show how the newly excavated evidence supports an alternative explanation: The civilization just moved and got split up  (lines 49–53) . The correct answer should point out the author’s reasoned dismissal of Wheeler’s theory.

Step 4: Evaluate the Answer Choices

(E)  is correct. The author used the new evidence to reject Wheeler’s theory, and the author is absolutely clear about it.

(A)  is opposite. The author rejects the theory, so it would hardly be considered a worthy contribution to archaeology.

(B)  is opposite. The author does not accept anything about the theory.

(C)  is a Distortion. The disagreement comes across as rather forceful, not slight. And there’s no indication that the author has any respect for the theory.

(D)  is an Extreme Distortion. The author does reject the theory, but never goes so far as to say it was completely unworthy of any attention whatsoever. It was probably worth considering at one point, but now seems obsolete because of the newly found evidence.

Answer: E

gullyboy09 · Answer

Hi  MartyMurray ,  GMATNinja ,  Sajjad1994

In Q4, I was confused between A and C as they were not mentioned as a "direct" evidence. But how come having no evidence can be considered as direct evidence (option B). If we don't have any evidence, we don't say that event didn't happen (like in flaw questions).

guddo · Answer

4. Which one of the following is cited in the passage as evidence that directly counters Wheeler's theory?

The passage says Wheeler’s invasion and massacre theory is unlikely because there is no supporting evidence for battles or an invasion at that time, and it suggests environmental disruption and relocation as more likely explanations.

A. The Indus Valley is a seismically volatile region.

This supports the alternative earthquake explanation, but it does not directly contradict the claim that there was a massacre by invaders.

B. There are no findings that indicate battles within Bronze Age Indus Valley cities.

This directly counters a massacre by invaders. If a massacre happened, you would expect evidence of battles or violence in the cities, but the passage says there is none.  This is explicitly used to reject Wheeler’s view.

C. There is evidence of severe drought in the Indus Valley at the time of the Bronze Age.

This supports an alternative cause, but it does not directly refute the massacre claim on its own.

D. No signs of dominant rulers of the Indus Valley civilization have been found at excavation sites.

This is about political structure, not about whether an invasion massacre occurred.

E. The Indus Valley people practiced agriculture.

This is background and does not relate to Wheeler’s theory.

Answer: (B)

guddo · Answer

Good doubt. Here, “directly counters” means “directly contradicts what Wheeler’s theory predicts we should find.”

If there was a city invasion and a “final massacre,” you’d expect  some   positive physical traces in the cities  (signs of battles, violence, destruction, weapons, etc.). So the passage’s point is: they specifically looked for that kind of evidence and found  none , which is  directly  inconsistent with the massacre claim.

(A) and (C) are not “direct counters” because they only support an alternative explanation (earthquake or drought). They do not clash with the massacre theory; both could be true even if a massacre happened.

Your “absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence” idea is valid in general, but in this question the test is: the passage cites “no battle evidence in cities” as its direct rebuttal, so that’s why  it counts as the direct counter here .

Along with Egypt and Sumer, the third major early Bronze Age civilizat

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Along with Egypt and Sumer, the third major early Bronze Age civilizat

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