In The Dynamics of Apocalypse, John Lowe attempts to solve the mystery

Question

In  The Dynamics of Apocalypse , John Lowe
attempts to solve the mystery of the collapse of the
Classic Mayan civilization. Lowe bases his study on a
detailed examination of the known archaeological
 (5)  record. Like previous investigators, Lowe relies on
dated monuments to construct a step-by-step account
of the actual collapse. Using the erection of new
monuments as a means to determine a site's occupation
span, Lowe assumes that once new monuments ceased
 (10)  to be built, a site had been abandoned. Lowe's
analysis of the evidence suggests that construction of new
monuments continued to increase between A.D. 672
and 751, but that the civilization stopped expanding
geographically; new construction took place almost
 (15)  exclusively in established settlements. The first signs
of trouble followed. Monument inscriptions indicate
that between 751 and 790, long-standing alliances
started to break down. Evidence also indicates that
between 790 and 830, the death rate in Classic Mayan
 (20)  cities outstripped the birthrate. After approximately
830, construction stopped throughout the area, and
within a hundred years, the Classic Mayan civilization
all but vanished.

Having established this chronology, Lowe sets
 (25)  forth a plausible explanation of the collapse that
accommodates the available archaeological evidence.
He theorizes that Classic Mayan civilization was
brought down by the interaction of several factors, set
in motion by population growth. An increase in
 (30)  population, particularly within the elite segment of
society, necessitated ever more intense farming.
Agricultural intensification exerted stress on the soil
and led to a decline in productivity (the amount of food
produced through each unit of labor invested). At the
 (35)  same time, the growth of the elite class created
increasing demands for ceremonial monuments and
luxuries, diverting needed labor from the fields. The
theory holds that these stresses were communicated”
and amplified”throughout the area as Mayan states
 (40)  engaged in warfare to acquire laborers and food, and
refugees fled impoverished areas. The most vulnerable
states thus began to break down, and each downfall
triggered others, until the entire civilization collapsed.

If there is a central flaw in Lowe's explanation, it is
 (45)  that the entire edifice rests on the assumption that
the available evidence paints a true picture of how the
collapse proceeded. However, it is difficult to know
how accurately the archaeological record reflects
historic activity, especially of a complex civilization
 (50)  such as the Mayans, and a hypothesis can be tested
only against the best available data. It is quite possible
that our understanding of the collapse might be
radically altered by better data. For example, Lowe's
assumption about monument construction and the
 (55)  occupation span of a site might well be disproved if
further investigations of Classic Mayan sites
established that some remained heavily settled long
after the custom of carving dynastic monuments had
ceased.   1 
 1. Which one of the following best describes the organization of the passage?

(A) Amethod used to analyze evidence is described, an explanation of the evidence is suggested, and then a conclusion is drawn from the evidence.
(B) A hypothesis is presented, evidence supporting the hypothesis is provided, and then the hypothesis is affirmed.
(C) An analysis of a study is presented, contradictory evidence is examined, and then a direction for future studies is suggested.
(D) The basis of a study is described, a theory that explains the available evidence is presented, and a possible flaw in the study is pointed out.
(E) An observation is made, evidence supporting the observation is presented, and then contradictions in the evidence are discussed.

2 
 2. Which one of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

(A) In  The Dynamics of Apocalypse , John Lowe successfully proves that the collapse of Classic Mayan civilization was set in motion by
increasing population and decreasing productivity.
(B) In  The Dynamics of Apocalypse , John Lowe breaks new ground in solving the mystery of the collapse of Classic Mayan civilization through
his use of dated monuments to create a step-bystep account of the collapse.
(C) In  The Dynamics of Apocalypse , John Lowe successfully uses existing data to document the reduction and then cessation of new construction
throughout Classic Mayan civilization.
(D) Although John Lowe's study is based on a careful examination of the historical record, it does not accurately reflect the circumstances surrounding the collapse of Classic Mayan civilization.
(E) While John Lowe's theory about the collapse of Classic Mayan civilization appears credible, it is based on an assumption that cannot be verified using the archaeological record.

3 
 3. Which one of the following is most closely analogous to the assumption Lowe makes about the relationship between monument construction and Classic Mayan cities?

(A) A person assumes that the shortage of fresh produce on the shelves of a grocery store is due to the effects of poor weather conditions
during the growing season.
(B) A person assumes that a movie theater only shows foreign films because the titles of the films shown there are not familiar to the person.
(C) Aperson assumes that a restaurant is under new ownership because the restaurants menu has changed drastically since the last time the person ate there.
(D) A person assumes that a corporation has been sold because there is a new name for the corporation on the sign outside the building where the company is located.
(E) A person assumes a friend has sold her stamp collection because the friend has stopped purchasing new stamps.

4 
 4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would describe the method Lowe used to construct a step-bystep chronology of the actual collapse of Classic Mayan civilization as

(A) daringly innovative but flawed
(B) generally accepted but questionable
(C) very reliable but outdated
(D) unscientific but effective
(E) unconventional but brilliant

5 
 5. The author of the passage would most likely agree with which one of the following statements about the use of the archaeological record to reconstruct historic activity?

(A) With careful analysis, archaeological evidence can be used to reconstruct accurately the historic activity of a past civilization.
(B) Archaeological evidence is more useful for reconstructing the day-to-day activities of a culture than its long-term trends.
(C) The accuracy of the archaeological record for reconstructing historic activity is dependent on the duration of the particular civilization.
(D) The archaeological record is not an appropriate source of data for reconstructing historic activity.
(E) Historic activity can be reconstructed from archaeological evidence, but it is ultimately impossible to confirm the accuracy of the reconstruction.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. Which one of the following is most closely analogous to the assumption Lowe makes about the relationship between monument construction and Classic Mayan cities?

Explanation

According to  lines 9-10 , Lowe assumes that the Mayans left a place soon after they stopped building new monuments there. In other words, he assumes no additions indicates abandonment. Similarly, the person in  choice (E)  assumes no additions to the stamp collection indicates abandonment of the stamp collection.

(A)-(D)  None of these choices reflects the  “no additions=abandonment”  relationship.

You should approach Analogy questions in the following way:  identify the relevant relationship in the passage, frame this relationship in general terms, and then find the answer choice that reflects the same general relationship.

Hope it helps

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. Which one of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

Explanation

In line 25 , the author refers to Lowe’s theory as  “plausible,”  or credible. But, in  lines 44-53 , she notes that his evidence isn’t definitive and that his theory, therefore, could be overturned by the discovery of better evidence.

(A) and (D)  mistakenly suggest that the author takes a stand on the correctness of Lowe’s theory. Her opinion is actually more circumspect. She notes that, while the theory is plausible based on what is currently known about Mayan civilization, it could be undermined if better evidence about the Mayans eventually comes to light. In other words, she believes that the theory has yet to be proven right or wrong.

(B)  The author never claims that Lowe’s theory  “breaks new ground.”  Indeed, in  lines 5-7 , she notes that previous investigators also examined the collapse of Mayan civilization by looking at Mayan monuments. Furthermore, she doesn’t claim that Lowe has come up with a definitive explanation of this civilization’s collapse.

(C)  misrepresents the focus of the author’s comments. She’s interested in Lowe’s theory about the collapse of Mayan civilization, which does involve the examination of Mayan construction. However, she’s not interested in Lowe’s discussion of Mayan construction per se.

Answer: E

Hope it helps

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. The author of the passage would most likely agree with which one of the following statements about the use of the archaeological record to reconstruct historic activity?

Explanation

Since the author says that Lowe’s theory—which is based on archaeological evidence—is  “plausible,”  she would probably agree with the generalization that archaeological evidence can be used to reconstruct history. However, in  lines 47-49 , she also makes the point that it’s impossible to know the extent to which archaeological evidence reflects historical reality.

(A) Lines 47-49  indicate that the author is considerably more skeptical of the value of archaeological evidence than this choice would suggest.

(B)  is outside the scope of the passage. The author never brings up any comparison between the  “day-to-day activities”  of a culture and “its long-term trends.”

(C) In line 49 , the author suggests that archaeological evidence is particularly problematic when it’s used to mine the history of a  “complex”  civilization. In any case, the complexity of a civilization has nothing to do with its duration.

(D)  While the author is skeptical about whether archaeological evidence actually reflects historical reality, she’s not against using it to reconstruct the past. If she felt that the use of archaeological evidence was bogus, she wouldn’t have called Lowe’s theory  “plausible.”

Answer: E

Hope it helps

Skywalker18 · Answer

All correct in 10 mins, including 4 mins 45 seconds to read.

Para 1- John Lowe attempts to solve the mystery of the collapse of the Classic Mayan civilization; chronology 
Para 2- plausible explanation- population growth within the elite lead to series of events
Para 3- A potential flaw- how accurately the archaeological record reflects historic activity

1. Which one of the following best describes the organization of the passage? 
(D) The basis of a study is described, a theory that explains the available evidence is presented, and a possible flaw in the study is pointed out.- Correct, John Lowe's The Dynamics of Apocalypse is described and evidence used is presented and a possible flaw is listed

2. Which one of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage? 
(E) While John Lowe's theory about the collapse of Classic Mayan civilization appears credible, it is based on an assumption that cannot be verified using the archaeological record.- Correct
If there is a central flaw in Lowe's explanation, it is that the entire edifice rests on the assumption that the available evidence paints a true picture of how the collapse proceeded. However, it is difficult to know how accurately the archaeological record reflects historic activity, especially of a complex civilization such as the Mayans, and a hypothesis can be tested only against the best available data.

3. Which one of the following is most closely analogous to the assumption Lowe makes about the relationship between monument construction and Classic Mayan cities? 
(E) A person assumes a friend has sold her stamp collection because the friend has stopped purchasing new stamps.- Correct, the logic here analogous to underlined logic below-
Using the erection of new monuments as a means to determine a site's occupation span, Lowe assumes that  once new monuments ceased to be built, a site had been abandoned.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would describe the method Lowe used to construct a step-by step chronology of the actual collapse of Classic Mayan civilization as 
(A) daringly innovative but flawed- incorrect, Like previous investigators, Lowe relies on dated monuments to construct a step-by-step account of the actual collapse. - So, it does not seem daringly innovative and the author did not say for certain that the model was flawed
(B) generally accepted but questionable- Correct, the author agrees with the model but lists a potential flaw
(C) very reliable but outdated- incorrect, the author never states that it is very reliable but is now outdated
(D) unscientific but effective- incorrect
(E) unconventional but brilliant- incorrect, nothing to suggest that it is unconventional

5. The author of the passage would most likely agree with which one of the following statements about the use of the archaeological record to reconstruct historic activity? 
(E) Historic activity can be reconstructed from archaeological evidence, but it is ultimately impossible to confirm the accuracy of the reconstruction.

However, it is difficult to know how accurately the archaeological record reflects historic activity, especially of a complex civilization such as the Mayans, and a hypothesis can be tested only against the best available data. It is quite possible that our understanding of the collapse might be radically altered by better data.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would describe the method Lowe used to construct a step-bystep chronology of the actual collapse of Classic Mayan civilization as

Explanation

In  lines 5-7 , the author mentions that  “investigators”  before Lowe used the same archaeological method as he did to examine the collapse of Mayan civilization. So, she’d characterize this method as  “generally accepted.”  In  lines 47-49 , however, she suggests that this method may not reflect historical reality. In other words, she’d also characterize it as  “questionable.”

(A)  and  (E)  The author wouldn’t characterize a method that she acknowledges has been used by a number of investigators as either  “daringly innovative” (A)  or  “unconventional” (E).

(C)  and  (D)  Nor would the author characterize a method that she acknowledges is problematic as either  “very reliable” (C)  or  “effective” (D).

Answer: B

Explanation Credit: Kaplan LSAT

RahulHGGmat · Answer

Hi  Sajjad1994 ,

Thank you for posting out such a wonderful paragraph. However, I want your little confirmation on question number 2.

As per OA, the correct answer option for question number 2 is E. The paragraph in RC states 'it is that the entire edifice rests on the assumption that the available evidence paints a true picture of how the collapse proceeded. However, it is difficult to know how accurately the archaeological record reflects historic activity'.

As per my understanding the above information state that Lowe theory can be verified by archaeological records, however, the authenticity of archaeological records cannot be verified. Does the answer choice also state the same meaning or is it conveying some other meaning?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Your observation is absolutely fine, In the passage in  line 25 , the author mentioned the Lowe’s theory as  “plausible,”  but, in  lines 44-52 , she notes that his evidence isn’t definitive and that his theory, therefore, could be overturned by the discovery of better evidence. Hence Answer is  E

Thank you

In The Dynamics of Apocalypse, John Lowe attempts to solve the mystery

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

In The Dynamics of Apocalypse, John Lowe attempts to solve the mystery

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