Much of the European historiography of the African continent is marked

Question

Much of the European historiography of the African continent is marked by a distinct remoteness that reflects an attitude not unlike the perspective of an invading force. Such works seem to proceed from the assumption that the history of Africa begins with the arrival of Europeans; thus, any events that transpired before the colonization of Africa are relegated to what one such historian has called “a fruitless mythology.”

This approach does both history and the African people a great disservice by ignoring more than a millennium of pre-colonial African history that includes frequent contact between Africa and other continents. Historian Basil Davidson has attempted to address the shortcomings of the historical record and repair the misconceptions held by so many historians. In addition to histories of African city- and empire-building, Davidson has collected numerous documents in his recent book African Civilization Revisited. The achievement of this anthology is twofold. It provides the nonspecialist with an introduction to African history as told by Africans themselves, from Pepi-Nakt (an Egyptian nobleman) to Onwuka Dike (a Nigerian university Chancellor), alongside the more familiar European and Asian accounts. The collection is equally successful as an historiographical resource, as Davidson has taken great pains to refer readers to a number of pertinent historical works, both European and African in origin.    1 
 1. Which of the following statements about European historical analysis of Africa is best supported by the passage?

A. The historiographies published by Europeans are generally positive in their assessment of the various European colonies that once existed on the African continent.
B. The historical approach taken by Europeans is inherently flawed because it fails to take into account the striking differences between European and African mythology.
C. European historiography typically ignores African history prior to colonization because such history tends to repeat patterns without any discernible chronological progression.
D. European historians customarily view African history as a series of invasions, culminating in the European conquests that eventually opened up Africa to the rest of the civilized world.
E. European historical texts on Africa tend to neglect the complex realities of African history that existed before European colonies were founded there.

2 
 2. Which of the following best characterizes the author's view of the notion that African history began following the European invasion of the continent?

A. It is partially correct but plainly biased.
B. It is controversial though persuasive.
C. It is often misunderstood.
D. It is limited and subjective.
E. It is based on complex assumptions.

3 
 3. According to the passage, which of the following is true of African culture prior to the European colonization of Africa?

A. African cultures were not completely isolated from those of other continents.
B. Though civilizations in Africa were complex, they became more so under the influence of European colonialists.
C. African culture before European contact was elaborate and homogeneous throughout the continent.
D. There are few reliable documents that accurately chronicle African history before European arrival.
E. Africa had spread its cultural influence through the conquest and subsequent assimilation of non-African cultures.

4 
 4. According to the passage, many European historians were likely to view colonial African history as

A. a fruitless field of research due to the lack of reliable documents
B. a difficult subject of study because of the complexities of African politics
C. a time of widespread city and empire-building
D. an era only worth studying from the perspective of those Europeans who explored the continent
E. an obscure period during which history and legend were often confused

5 
 5. It can be inferred from the passage that Davidson's  African Civilization Revisiteo  differs from previous histories of Africa in that it

A. uses logic to persuade the reader that previous historiographers of Africa were limited in their perspectives
B. discloses previously unseen documents that help clarify unknown aspects of African history
C. disregards previous accounts of African history in an attempt to establish a more coherent and accurate historiography
D. provides both traditional European views of African history and alternative perspectives of Africans themselves
E. exposes the harsh treatment that Africans received at the hands of Europeans intent on their exploitation

6 
 6. According to the passage, Basil Davidson believes that

A. his work will influence the general direction of African historiography by revealing the intrinsic errors of previous methods of research
B. European historians ignore the rich history of Africa that occurred before European colonization
C. many of the documents used to justify modern European histories of Africa are of dubious authenticity
D. any European examination of Africa, no matter how thorough, will suffer from a fundamental misinterpretation of African culture
E. the African continent is home ta the world's oldest existing culture, and thus any valid historical resource must attempt to chronicle its complete history

7 
 7. The author's evaluation of Davidson's  African Civilization Revisiteo  could also be applied to which of the following?

A. A book composed of the statistics most frequently employed by historians of Africa
B. A history of a long-misunderstood culture from the perspective of members of that culture
C. An African historian's description of Asian history from the time of Africa's first contact with Asia
D. A European study of India under the British empire that presents controversial views about British imperialism
E. A chronicle of events in modern-day Africa written by prominent international journalists

varun325 · Answer

1 . Which of the following statements about European historical analysis of Africa is best supported by the passage?

a) The historiographies published by Europeans are generally positive in their assessment of the various European colonies that once existed on the African continent.( Out of context) 
b) The historical approach taken by Europeans is inherently flawed because it fails to take into account the striking differences between European and African mythology.( Out of context) Difference in mythologies is not mentioned.
c) European historiography typically ignores African history prior to colonization because such history t ends to repeat patterns without any discernible chronological progression.(  ( This bolded phrase is not mentioned)
d) European historians customarily view African history as a series of invasions, culminating in the European conquests that eventually opened up Africa to the rest of the civilized world.(Incorrect)
 e) European historical texts on Africa tend to neglect the complex realities of African history that existed before European colonies were founded there.
( Correct) Refer " Such works seem to proceed from the assumption that the history of Africa begins with the arrival of Europeans; thus, any events that transpired before the colonization of Africa are relegated to what one such historian has called “a fruitless mythology.”"

2. Which of the following best characterizes the author's view of the notion that African history began following the European invasion of the continent?

a) It is  partially correct  but plainly biased.Never agreed Incorrect
b) It is controversial though  persuasive .Not persuasive author never agrees with European texts on Africa history
 c) It is often misunderstood.( correct) Refer " Historian Basil Davidson has attempted to address the shortcomings of the historical record and repair the misconceptions held by so many historians" 
d) It is limited and  subjective . ( It is limited but not subjective)
e) It is based on complex assumptions. ( this is close but I chose C out of two)

3 . According to the passage, which of the following is true of African culture prior to the European colonization of Africa?

a) African cultures were not completely isolated from those of other continents. (Correct)Refer second para first line author lists the shortcomings in the European history of Africa in which he points out that Africa was in contact with other continents.

b) Though civilizations in Africa were complex, they became more so under the influence of European colonialists.( Not mentioned Anywhere what happened to Africa After the colonization )
c) African culture before European contact was  elaborate and homogeneous  throughout the continent. Not mentioned anything about their culture
d) There are few reliable documents that accurately chronicle African history before European arrival. It is mentioned that the Davidson account of history text includes several documents and accounts of local people. The reliability and the number of such docs are not mentioned.
 e) Africa had spread its cultural influence through the conquest and subsequent assimilation of non-African cultures.( Incorrect)

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. Which of the following best characterizes the author's view of the notion that African history began following the European invasion of the continent?

Explanation

The phrase best characterizes indicates that this is an inference question. The task of the question is indicated by the phrase which of the following. The subject of the question is the author's view of the notion that African history began following the European invasion of the continent. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice which cannot be supported by the text. According to the passage, Much of the European historiography of the African continent is marked by a distinct remoteness that reflects an attitude not unlike the perspective of an invading force. Additionally, the passage states This approach does both history and the African people a great disservice by ignoring more than a millennium of pre-colonial African history that includes frequent contact between Africa and other continents.

Choice A:  No. The inclusion of the phrase plainly biased in the answer choice may make it appealing. However, this choice is a reversal, as the passage states that this approach does both history and the African people a great disservice, so is not partially correct.

Choice B:  No. The word controversial may make this choice seem appealing. However, this choice is a reversal. The author does not support European historiography of the African continent, so it may be describable as controversial, but persuasive could only be used to represent the author’s support for Davidson’s view, which is a different view from the subject of this question.

Choice C:  No. This choice may be appealing based on how the author may feel about African history itself. However, this choice is a reversal of the subject of the question. The question asks for the author’s view about the notion that African history began following the European invasion of the continent. The author would characterize that view as incorrect, but not misunderstood.

Choice D:  Correct. The author states in the second paragraph that This approach does both history and the African people a great disservice by ignoring more than a millennium of pre-colonial African history that includes frequent contact between Africa and other continents. It is limited by ignoring pre-colonial African history and subjective for focusing on the European perspective.

Choice E:  No. The reference to assumptions may make this choice seem appealing. However, this choice is a memory trap. The only assumption the author states is Such works seem to proceed from the assumption that the history of Africa begins with the arrival of Europeans. The passage does not provide any indication of additional assumptions, or that any assumption is complex.

The correct answer is choice D.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. It can be inferred from the passage that Davidson's African Civilization Revisiteo differs from previous histories of Africa in that it

Explanation

A.  Davidson's work may indeed use logic to critique previous historiographers of Africa for their limited perspectives, but this is not the primary focus or achievement of African Civilization Revisited as described in the passage. The passage emphasizes Davidson's efforts to address the shortcomings of the historical record and repair misconceptions rather than focusing solely on logical persuasion.

B.  While Davidson does collect numerous documents in his book, the primary emphasis is not on disclosing previously unseen documents to clarify unknown aspects of African history. Instead, the emphasis is on providing a comprehensive overview of African history as told by Africans themselves, alongside European and Asian accounts.

C.  Davidson's work does not disregard previous accounts of African history. Instead, it acknowledges the limitations of previous historiography and aims to provide a more inclusive and accurate portrayal of African history. The passage highlights Davidson's effort to collect documents and refer readers to various historical works, both European and African in origin, indicating an attempt to incorporate diverse perspectives rather than disregarding previous accounts entirely.

D.   This option best captures the essence of Davidson's African Civilization Revisited as described in the passage. The collection includes histories of African city- and empire-building alongside accounts from African perspectives, providing both traditional European views of African history and alternative perspectives of Africans themselves. Davidson's aim is to provide a more comprehensive and inclusive historiography of Africa by presenting multiple viewpoints.

E.  While the passage acknowledges the negative impact of previous historiography on African history, Davidson's work primarily focuses on presenting a more accurate and comprehensive portrayal of African history rather than specifically exposing the harsh treatment Africans received at the hands of Europeans.

Answer: D

VerbalBot · Answer

Automated notice from GMAT Club VerbalBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.

Much of the European historiography of the African continent is marked

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Much of the European historiography of the African continent is marked

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards