The coffeehouse was central to the dissemination of ideas in eighteent

Question

The coffeehouse was central to the dissemination of ideas in eighteenth-century England. In his classic work The History of England, Thomas Macaulay asserts that the coffeehouse was "not improperly called a most important political institution." Even the great late seventeenth-century diarist Samuel Pepys makes frequent reference to the London coffeehouse that was virtually his office space—the place where he sometimes made critical business transactions as the head of naval procurement for the Crown. It was not just the taste of the coffee being served or the jolt of caffeine it provided that attracted England's politicians and businesspeople to the coffeehouses day after day. Newsletters were distributed in the coffeehouses, and runners would make rounds with breaking news; the shops served as nerve centers of information in an ad hoc communication network. Many of the coffeehouses became devoted to particular trades, political parties, or impassioned cultural debates, although all were essentially democratic institutions; any decently dressed man with a penny was admitted. The result was a robust exchange of knowledge and ideas that has been credited by certain scholars with fueling the cultural and political explosion of Enlightenment.    1 
 1. Which of the following is NOT stated in the passage?

I. Diarists such as Samuel Pepys noted the difficulty of obtaining up-to-date political news in 17th-century England.
II. Some coffeehouses were meeting places for political parties.
III. The coffee served in 18th-century coffeehouses in England was not decaffeinated.

A. I Only
B. II Only
C. III Only
D. I and II Only
E. II and III Only

2 
 2. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the passage?

A. Coffeehouses in 18th-century London could be scenes of fervent verbal disagreement.
B. Samuel Pepys maintained no formal office space in which to conduct his business.
C. A major historical development in Europe is believed by some scholars to have been fostered by what transpired in the coffeehouses.
D. The author believes that Macaulay's History of England is a credible source of information about social mores in 18th-century London.
E. The role of news runners was integral to the functioning of 18th-century English coffeehouses as hubs of information.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the passage?

Explanation

Analyze the question stem

This is an Inference question, but the correct answer is the one not supported by the passage.

Research

There is no specific part of the passage or hint in the question stem, so review the passage map and mentally recap the author's main points. Be prepared to research each choice as needed to confirm whether it has support.

Make a prediction

There is no way to make a specific prediction here, but any choice that aligns with the idea that coffeehouses were important places for the exchange of information and were important to history can be eliminated.

Evaluate the answer choices

(B)  is not supported by the passage and is the correct answer: while coffeeshops served as Pepys's  "virtual"  office, the passage doesn't imply that he did not have a real office. He might simply have preferred working in the coffeehouse.

If coffee shops were a place of  "impassioned cultural debates,"  it can be reasonably inferred that  "fervent verbal disagreement"  occurred there, so  (A)  is supported.

(C)  is supported by the final sentence, which credits coffeehouses with helping to foster the start of the Enlightenment,  "cultural and political explosion."

(D)  is supported, as the author quotes Macaulay as a credible source to open the passage and describes his work as  "classic."

(E)  is supported, because news runners are mentioned alongside newsletters as helping making coffeehouses  "nerve centers of information."

Answer: B

Prob2303 · Answer

Hi Sajid,

Can you please explain why C is not the correct answer for Q1? Statement 3 cannot be inferred and Statement 1 can be.

Thanks,
Probir

Aneet · Answer

It was not just the taste of the coffee being served or the jolt of caffeine.

So the coffeee had caffeine

gullyboy09 · Answer

Hi  Bunuel , in second question, option C talks about Europe whereas passage was limited to only England. I choose C because of that.

guddo · Answer

2. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the passage?

The passage presents the coffeehouse as an important center of political, commercial, and intellectual exchange in eighteenth-century England. It emphasizes that coffeehouses spread news, hosted debate, and helped circulate ideas, and it suggests that some scholars connect them to the rise of the Enlightenment. So the correct answer must be the one that goes beyond what the passage actually supports.

(A) Coffeehouses in 18th-century London could be scenes of fervent verbal disagreement.

This can be inferred. The passage says many coffeehouses were devoted to political parties or impassioned cultural debates, which strongly suggests heated disagreement.

(B) Samuel Pepys maintained no formal office space in which to conduct his business.

This cannot be inferred. The passage says the coffeehouse was “virtually his office space,” but that does not prove he had no formal office elsewhere.

(C) A major historical development in Europe is believed by some scholars to have been fostered by what transpired in the coffeehouses.

This can be inferred. The passage says some scholars credit the coffeehouses with helping fuel the Enlightenment, which is a major European historical development.

(D) The author believes that Macaulay's History of England is a credible source of information about social mores in 18th-century London.

This can be inferred. The author refers to it as Macaulay’s “classic work” and uses it as support, which suggests respect for its credibility.

(E) The role of news runners was integral to the functioning of 18th-century English coffeehouses as hubs of information.

This can be inferred. The passage says newsletters were distributed and runners brought breaking news, helping make coffeehouses nerve centers of information.

Answer: (B)

The coffeehouse was central to the dissemination of ideas in eighteent

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

The coffeehouse was central to the dissemination of ideas in eighteent

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