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souvik101990
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Location: United States (WA)
Concentration: Leadership, General Management
Schools: Ross '20 (M)
GMAT 1: 760 Q50 V42
GMAT 2: 740 Q49 V42 (Online)
GMAT 3: 760 Q50 V42 (Online)
GPA: 3.8
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Expert reply
15 Apr 2018, 06:22
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With the outbreak of the civil war which ran through 1861-65, women and men alike eagerly volunteered to fight for the cause. In the Northern states, women organized ladies' aid societies to supply the Union troops with everything they needed, from food (they baked and canned and planted fruit and vegetable gardens for the soldiers) to clothing (they sewed and laundered uniforms, knitted socks and gloves, mended blankets and embroidered quilts and pillowcases) to cash (they organized door-to-door fundraising campaigns, county fairs and performances of all kinds to raise money for medical supplies and other necessities).
But many women wanted to take a more active role in the war effort. Inspired by the work of Florence Nightingale and her fellow nurses in the Crimean War, they tried to find a way to work on the front lines, caring for sick and injured soldiers and keeping the rest of the Union troops healthy and safe. In June 1861, they succeeded: The federal government agreed to create "a preventive hygienic and sanitary service for the benefit of the army" called the United States Sanitary Commission. The Sanitary Commission's primary objective was to combat preventable diseases and infections by improving conditions (particularly "bad cookery" and bad hygiene) in army camps and hospitals. It also worked to provide relief to sick and wounded soldiers. By war's end, the Sanitary Commission had provided almost $15 million in supplies-the vast majority of which had been collected by women-to the Union Army.
Nearly 20,000 women worked more directly for the Union war effort. Working-class white women and free and enslaved African-American women worked as laundresses, cooks and "matrons," and some 3,000 middle-class white women worked as nurses. The activist Dorothea Dix, the superintendent of Army nurses, put out a call for responsible, maternal volunteers who would not distract the troops or behave in unseemly or unfeminine ways: Dix insisted that her nurses be "past 30 years of age, healthy, plain almost to repulsion in dress and devoid of personal attractions." (One of the most famous of these Union nurses was the writer Louisa May Alcott.) Army nurses traveled from hospital to hospital, providing "humane and efficient care for wounded, sick and dying soldiers." They also acted as mothers and housekeepers-"havens in a heartless world"-for the soldiers under their care.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
A. Describe the agenda of working-class white women and enslaved African-American Women in the war
B. Explain the different roles played by women in the civil war
C. The relationship of women as mothers and housekeepers in the late nineteenth century America
D. Influence of Florence Nightingale on American Women during the civil war
E. Trace the formation and function of the United States Sanitary Commission
But many women wanted to take a more active role in the war effort. Inspired by the work of Florence Nightingale and her fellow nurses in the Crimean War, they tried to find a way to work on the front lines, caring for sick and injured soldiers and keeping the rest of the Union troops healthy and safe. In June 1861, they succeeded: The federal government agreed to create "a preventive hygienic and sanitary service for the benefit of the army" called the United States Sanitary Commission. The Sanitary Commission's primary objective was to combat preventable diseases and infections by improving conditions (particularly "bad cookery" and bad hygiene) in army camps and hospitals. It also worked to provide relief to sick and wounded soldiers. By war's end, the Sanitary Commission had provided almost $15 million in supplies-the vast majority of which had been collected by women-to the Union Army.
Nearly 20,000 women worked more directly for the Union war effort. Working-class white women and free and enslaved African-American women worked as laundresses, cooks and "matrons," and some 3,000 middle-class white women worked as nurses. The activist Dorothea Dix, the superintendent of Army nurses, put out a call for responsible, maternal volunteers who would not distract the troops or behave in unseemly or unfeminine ways: Dix insisted that her nurses be "past 30 years of age, healthy, plain almost to repulsion in dress and devoid of personal attractions." (One of the most famous of these Union nurses was the writer Louisa May Alcott.) Army nurses traveled from hospital to hospital, providing "humane and efficient care for wounded, sick and dying soldiers." They also acted as mothers and housekeepers-"havens in a heartless world"-for the soldiers under their care.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
A. Describe the agenda of working-class white women and enslaved African-American Women in the war
B. Explain the different roles played by women in the civil war
C. The relationship of women as mothers and housekeepers in the late nineteenth century America
D. Influence of Florence Nightingale on American Women during the civil war
E. Trace the formation and function of the United States Sanitary Commission
souvik101990
Expert
Alum
Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Last visit: 11 Nov 2025
Posts: 4,313
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 2,326
Location: United States (WA)
Concentration: Leadership, General Management
Schools: Ross '20 (M)
GMAT 1: 760 Q50 V42
GMAT 2: 740 Q49 V42 (Online)
GMAT 3: 760 Q50 V42 (Online)
GPA: 3.8
WE:Marketing (Non-Profit and Government)
Products:
Expert reply
15 Apr 2018, 06:22
Kudos
Bookmarks
Official Solution:
With the outbreak of the civil war which ran through 1861-65, women and men alike eagerly volunteered to fight for the cause. In the Northern states, women organized ladies' aid societies to supply the Union troops with everything they needed, from food (they baked and canned and planted fruit and vegetable gardens for the soldiers) to clothing (they sewed and laundered uniforms, knitted socks and gloves, mended blankets and embroidered quilts and pillowcases) to cash (they organized door-to-door fundraising campaigns, county fairs and performances of all kinds to raise money for medical supplies and other necessities).
But many women wanted to take a more active role in the war effort. Inspired by the work of Florence Nightingale and her fellow nurses in the Crimean War, they tried to find a way to work on the front lines, caring for sick and injured soldiers and keeping the rest of the Union troops healthy and safe. In June 1861, they succeeded: The federal government agreed to create "a preventive hygienic and sanitary service for the benefit of the army" called the United States Sanitary Commission. The Sanitary Commission's primary objective was to combat preventable diseases and infections by improving conditions (particularly "bad cookery" and bad hygiene) in army camps and hospitals. It also worked to provide relief to sick and wounded soldiers. By war's end, the Sanitary Commission had provided almost $15 million in supplies-the vast majority of which had been collected by women-to the Union Army.
Nearly 20,000 women worked more directly for the Union war effort. Working-class white women and free and enslaved African-American women worked as laundresses, cooks and "matrons," and some 3,000 middle-class white women worked as nurses. The activist Dorothea Dix, the superintendent of Army nurses, put out a call for responsible, maternal volunteers who would not distract the troops or behave in unseemly or unfeminine ways: Dix insisted that her nurses be "past 30 years of age, healthy, plain almost to repulsion in dress and devoid of personal attractions." (One of the most famous of these Union nurses was the writer Louisa May Alcott.) Army nurses traveled from hospital to hospital, providing "humane and efficient care for wounded, sick and dying soldiers." They also acted as mothers and housekeepers-"havens in a heartless world"-for the soldiers under their care.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
A. Describe the agenda of working-class white women and enslaved African-American Women in the war
B. Explain the different roles played by women in the civil war
C. The relationship of women as mothers and housekeepers in the late nineteenth century America
D. Influence of Florence Nightingale on American Women during the civil war
E. Trace the formation and function of the United States Sanitary Commission
The passage does describe the different roles that women played during the civil war. Option B correctly identifies this. Option A does talk about the agenda but that is not the primary purpose of the passage. Option C, D and E are also too specific, and while the passage mentions them, they do not capture the essence of the entire paragraph.
Answer: B
With the outbreak of the civil war which ran through 1861-65, women and men alike eagerly volunteered to fight for the cause. In the Northern states, women organized ladies' aid societies to supply the Union troops with everything they needed, from food (they baked and canned and planted fruit and vegetable gardens for the soldiers) to clothing (they sewed and laundered uniforms, knitted socks and gloves, mended blankets and embroidered quilts and pillowcases) to cash (they organized door-to-door fundraising campaigns, county fairs and performances of all kinds to raise money for medical supplies and other necessities).
But many women wanted to take a more active role in the war effort. Inspired by the work of Florence Nightingale and her fellow nurses in the Crimean War, they tried to find a way to work on the front lines, caring for sick and injured soldiers and keeping the rest of the Union troops healthy and safe. In June 1861, they succeeded: The federal government agreed to create "a preventive hygienic and sanitary service for the benefit of the army" called the United States Sanitary Commission. The Sanitary Commission's primary objective was to combat preventable diseases and infections by improving conditions (particularly "bad cookery" and bad hygiene) in army camps and hospitals. It also worked to provide relief to sick and wounded soldiers. By war's end, the Sanitary Commission had provided almost $15 million in supplies-the vast majority of which had been collected by women-to the Union Army.
Nearly 20,000 women worked more directly for the Union war effort. Working-class white women and free and enslaved African-American women worked as laundresses, cooks and "matrons," and some 3,000 middle-class white women worked as nurses. The activist Dorothea Dix, the superintendent of Army nurses, put out a call for responsible, maternal volunteers who would not distract the troops or behave in unseemly or unfeminine ways: Dix insisted that her nurses be "past 30 years of age, healthy, plain almost to repulsion in dress and devoid of personal attractions." (One of the most famous of these Union nurses was the writer Louisa May Alcott.) Army nurses traveled from hospital to hospital, providing "humane and efficient care for wounded, sick and dying soldiers." They also acted as mothers and housekeepers-"havens in a heartless world"-for the soldiers under their care.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
A. Describe the agenda of working-class white women and enslaved African-American Women in the war
B. Explain the different roles played by women in the civil war
C. The relationship of women as mothers and housekeepers in the late nineteenth century America
D. Influence of Florence Nightingale on American Women during the civil war
E. Trace the formation and function of the United States Sanitary Commission
The passage does describe the different roles that women played during the civil war. Option B correctly identifies this. Option A does talk about the agenda but that is not the primary purpose of the passage. Option C, D and E are also too specific, and while the passage mentions them, they do not capture the essence of the entire paragraph.
Answer: B
OhsostudiousMJ
Joined: 28 Jan 2019
Last visit: 06 Apr 2024
Posts: 65
Given Kudos: 121
Location: India
Schools: ISB '21 (A) Great Lakes '21 (WD)
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V36
GPA: 4
WE:Manufacturing and Production (Manufacturing)
11 May 2019, 01:56
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souvik101990
Hi,
I was caught between B and E, and I went ahead with E. Here's why..
- - The first para tells about the eagerness of women to help in the war and they did whatever little they could.
- The second para tells that the women wanted a more active role and thus the USSC was formed.
- The third para tells the efforts/functions of women as part of USSC
The way this passage is structured, I felt E was the right answer. Please help me where my train of thought is going wrong or convince me how B is better than E?
Thanks in advance.
