The Russian Domostroy is a set of principles that dates from the

Question

The Russian Domostroy is a set of principles that dates from the fourteenth century and was intended to guide upper-class Russians in the establishment of solid family life. The Domostroy utilized quotes from the Old Testament as well as traditional Russian stories. Today the Domostroy has strongly negative connotations due to its suggestions of an exclusively patriarchal tone, and at least two nineteenth-century Russian novelists referenced it as a negative feature of medieval Russian life. The negative associations overlook the significance of the Domostroy, however, by failing to appreciate its importance to Russian families and its necessity for ensuring the stability of the Russian merchant class.

Which of the following best summarizes the main point of the passage above?

(A) The Domostroy is a valuable tool for scholars who are studying medieval family life in fourteenth-century Russia.

(B) The Domostroy was once an important feature of life among upper-class Russians but now has clear negative connotations.

(C) The Domostroy was particularly odious to nineteenth-century Russian novelists who were eager to leave medieval expectations of Russian family life in the past.

(D) The Domostroy contained references and advice that were useful only to the upper classes in fourteenth-century Russia.

(E) The Domostroy has negative connotations now but may be valued for its contribution to the survival of a merchant class in Russia.

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Arkham777 · Answer

he best answer is (E):

(E) The Domostroy has negative connotations now but may be valued for its contribution to the survival of a merchant class in Russia.

Explanation:

The passage acknowledges that while the Domostroy currently has negative connotations due to its patriarchal tone and criticism from 19th-century novelists, these views overlook its historical significance. It was important for Russian families and essential in ensuring the stability of the Russian merchant class. Option (E) best encapsulates this main point by recognizing both the modern negative perceptions and the Domostroy’s valuable contributions in its historical context.

Nikhil17bhatt · Answer

IMO E

(A) The Domostroy is a valuable tool for scholars who are studying medieval family life in fourteenth-century Russia.

Why it could be correct: This option suggests that the Domostroy is valuable for understanding medieval family life, which aligns with the passage's mention of its historical significance.
Why it is wrong: The passage does not specifically mention scholars or the study of medieval family life as the main point. It focuses more on the contemporary negative connotations and the historical importance for Russian families and the merchant class.
(B) The Domostroy was once an important feature of life among upper-class Russians but now has clear negative connotations.

Why it could be correct: This option captures the transition from the Domostroy's historical importance to its current negative perception.
Why it is wrong: While it addresses the change in perception, it misses the nuance about the Domostroy's role in ensuring the stability of the Russian merchant class, which is a key part of the passage's main point.
(C) The Domostroy was particularly odious to nineteenth-century Russian novelists who were eager to leave medieval expectations of Russian family life in the past.

Why it could be correct: This option mentions the negative view of nineteenth-century novelists, which is discussed in the passage.
Why it is wrong: This option focuses too narrowly on the novelists' perspective and does not address the broader context of the Domostroy's historical significance and its role in family and merchant class stability.
(D) The Domostroy contained references and advice that were useful only to the upper classes in fourteenth-century Russia.

Why it could be correct: This option highlights the Domostroy's relevance to the upper classes, which is mentioned in the passage.
Why it is wrong: It overlooks the contemporary negative connotations and the broader significance of the Domostroy in ensuring the stability of the Russian merchant class, which are crucial aspects of the passage.
(E) The Domostroy has negative connotations now but may be valued for its contribution to the survival of a merchant class in Russia.

Why it is correct: This option accurately captures the dual perspective presented in the passage: the current negative connotations and the historical importance of the Domostroy in contributing to the stability of the Russian merchant class.
Why it could be wrong: There is no significant reason why this option would be wrong as it aligns well with the main point of the passage.
In summary, option (E) is the most comprehensive and accurately reflects the main point of the passage, which is the dual perspective on the Domostroy's contemporary negative connotations and its historical significance.

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Overview:

Question provides information about the Domostroy, a book of family principles dating from fourteenth-century Russia, and the student is asked to identify the answer choice that best summarizes the main point of the passage. The student should approach any question about the main point from a specific perspective. To locate the main point, it is best to find an answer choice that draws all of the information from the passage into a single statement. Any answer choice that summarizes only part of the passage or paraphrases one comment in the passage is incorrect. In this passage, the main point is that the Domostroy is largely seen to be negative today (or since the nineteenth century), but that it remains an important compilation due to its role in keeping the merchant class in Russia intact through the Middle Ages. The correct answer choice will reflect this.

The Correct Answer:

E Answer choice (E) correctly summarizes the main point by targeting the two primary thrusts of the passage: (1) the Domostroy is unpopular now, but (2) is still valuable because it ensured the survival of the Russian merchant class. Answer choice (E), therefore, is the correct answer.

The Incorrect Answers:

A Answer choice (A) might be inferred from the passage: due to the information that it contains and to its role in shaping the Russian merchant family during the Middle Ages, historians might very well find this book to be useful. But the passage itself does not say this anywhere, so answer choice (A) cannot function as a summary of the main point and is incorrect.

B The passage does claim that the Domostroy was an important feature in upper-class Russian family life and that it now has negative connotations. But this fails to include the important statement at the end of the passage about the way that the Domostroy contributed to the stability of the merchant class. Answer choice (B) contains insufficient information and is thus incorrect.

C Again, the passage does claim that at least two Russian novelists utilized references to the Domostroy negatively, but this is certainly not the main point of the passage and is used within the passage primarily to indicate the modern point of view. Answer choice (C) cannot be correct.

D The passage claims that the Domostroy contained information that was useful to the upper-class Russian families. It does not claim or imply, however, that it contained information useful only to upper-class Russian families. What is more, this is clearly not the main point of the passage, so answer choice (D) is incorrect and may be eliminated.

Ngocvb10 · Answer

why E is correct. The word in the passage is "stability", not "survival"

guddo · Answer

“Survival” is just a paraphrase of “ensuring stability.” The author’s point is that the Domostroy helped the merchant class persist as a stable, functioning group, so “survival” captures that idea without needing the exact word.

The passage says that although the Domostroy is viewed negatively today for its patriarchal tone and has been portrayed negatively, those associations overlook its historical importance in supporting family life and stabilizing the merchant class. That matches choice E.

The Russian Domostroy is a set of principles that dates from the

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The Russian Domostroy is a set of principles that dates from the

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