GMATPREP ChallengeQ-Planter-legislators of the post-Civil War southern

Question

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  Passage-32   GMATPrep RCs-Collection(Main article)

Planter-legislators of the post-Civil War southern United States enacted crop lien laws stipulating that those who advanced cash or supplies necessary to plant a crop would receive, as security, a claim, or lien, on the crop produced. In doing so, planters, most of whom were former slaveholders, sought access to credit from merchants and control over nominally free laborers—former slaves freed by the victory of the northern Union over the southern Confederacy in the United States Civil War. They hoped to reassure merchants that despite the emancipation of the slaves, planters would produce crops and pay debts. Planters planned to use their supply credit to control their workers, former slaves who were without money to rent land or buy supplies. Planters imagined continuation of the pre-Civil War economic hierarchy: merchants supplying landlords, landlords supplying laborers, and laborers producing crops from which their scant wages and planters' profits would come, allowing planters to repay advances. Lien laws frequently had unintended consequences, however, thwarting the planter fantasy of mastery without slavery. The newly freed workers, seeking to become self-employed tenant farmers rather than wage laborers, made direct arrangements with merchants for supplies. Lien laws, the centerpiece of a system designed to create a dependent labor force, became the means for workers, with alternative means of supply advances, to escape that dependence.   1 
 C 
1. Which of the following best expresses the central idea of the passage?

(A) Planters in the post-Civil War southern United States sought to reinstate the institution of slavery.
(B) Through their decisions regarding supply credit, merchants controlled post-Civil War agriculture.
(C) Lien laws helped to defeat the purpose for which they were originally created.
(D) Although slavery had ended, the economic hierarchy changed little in the post-Civil War southern United States.
(E) Newly freed workers enacted lien laws to hasten the downfall of the plantation economy.

2 
 A 
2. According to the passage, each of the following was a reason planters supported crop lien laws EXCEPT:

(A) Planters believed that lien laws would allow them to expand their landholdings.
(B) Planters expected that lien laws would give them control over former slaves.
(C) Planters anticipated that lien laws would help them retain access to merchant credit.
(D) Planters intended to use lien laws to create a dependent labor force.
(E) Planters saw lien laws as a way to maintain their traditional economic status.

3 
 D 
3. The passage suggests which of the following about merchants in the post-Civil War southern United States?

(A) They sought to preserve pre-Civil War social conditions.
(B) Their numbers in the legislatures had been diminished.
(C) Their businesses had suffered from a loss of collateral.
(D) They were willing to make business arrangements with former slaves.
(E Their profits had declined because planters defaulted on debts for supply advances.

aditya8062 · Answer

my take in 7 min 28 sec 
1 C
2 A
3 D

vietmoi999 · Answer

agree. C,A,D, I think this passage is easy and question is easy too

bb61 · Answer

1. Which of the following best expresses the central idea of the passage?
A. Planters in the post-Civil War southern United States sought to reinstate the institution of slavery.
B. Through their decisions regarding supply credit, merchants controlled post-Civil War agriculture.
 C. Lien laws helped to defeat the purpose for which they were originally created. 
D. Although slavery had ended, the economic hierarchy changed little in the post-Civil War southern United States.
E. Newly freed workers enacted lien laws to hasten the downfall of the plantation economy.

2. According to the passage, each of the following was a reason planters supported crop lien laws EXCEPT:
 A. Planters believed that lien laws would allow them to expand their landholdings. 
B. Planters expected that lien laws would give them control over former slaves.
C. Planters anticipated that lien laws would help them retain access to merchant credit.
D. Planters intended to use lien laws to create a dependent labor force.
E. Planters saw lien laws as a way to maintain their traditional economic status.

3. The passage suggests which of the following about merchants in the post-Civil War southern United States?
A. They sought to preserve pre-Civil War social conditions.
B. Their numbers in the legislatures had been diminished.
C. Their businesses had suffered from a loss of collateral.
 D. They were willing to make business arrangements with former slaves. 
E. Their profits had declined because planters defaulted on debts for supply advances.

JarvisR · Answer

Time Taken: 
7 mins.

1. Which of the following best expresses the central idea of the passage?
C. Lien laws helped to defeat the purpose for which they were originally created.
 "Lien laws frequently had unintended consequences, however, thwarting the planter fantasy of mastery without slavery."
 
2. According to the passage, each of the following was a reason planters supported crop lien laws EXCEPT:
A. Planters believed that lien laws would allow them to expand their landholdings.

3. The passage suggests which of the following about merchants in the post-Civil War southern United States?
D. They were willing to make business arrangements with former slaves.
 "The newly freed workers, seeking to become self-employed tenant farmers rather than wage laborers, made direct arrangements with merchants for supplies."

PiyushK · Answer

4min 48sec
C A D (all correct)

OAs are updated.

WaterFlowsUp · Answer

9 mins ( all correct) , Damn!! kill me with a broom!!!!

ankur021190 · Answer

My answers :
1. C
2. A
3. D
3 min 44 secs

navaljoshi · Answer

Hi All,

Need help here , Got 2 Wrong.

My question is how to interact with such clumsy passage , I am normally decent in passages.
But when i see a non structured small passage like this , my RC skills goes hunting.
I started feeling sleepy in between the passage.
Any inputs?

keats · Answer

I didn't like the passage too. It's irritating in the sense that the last two questions were detail oriented and I had to check out each detail in and out.

I am still not able to narrow down to an answer option in Q2.

Can anyone help me out with option A and E here. It looks as if either everyone is done with his/her GMAT or they have exceptional skills at RC.

atshy21saraf · Answer

Thanks to  bb  's post ( https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-club-s-reading-comprehension-strategy-guide-83101.html  )
I am opting the last strategy  "New Reading Comprehension Strategy" by Spiridon   and got all correct.. yaayy 
Hope to do good in more RCs...

rajatmav1985 · Answer

8 mins .
All correct
CAD
Second question was little tricky. But easy if somebody reads passage properly.

rajatmav1985 · Answer

Keats
2. According to the passage, each of the following was a reason planters supported crop lien laws EXCEPT:
A. Planters believed that lien laws would allow them to expand their landholdings.
B. Planters expected that lien laws would give them control over former slaves.
C. Planters anticipated that lien laws would help them retain access to merchant credit.
D. Planters intended to use lien laws to create a dependent labor force.
E. Planters saw lien laws as a way to maintain their traditional economic status.

You are confused between A and E.

Now if you read the passage ,it says that slaves were emancipated and nowhere mentions that they own land.
So ,the land still belongs to the landlords. So , expanding landholdings is not suggested in the passage. hence the answer.

E. This is suggested in the passage.
" Planters imagined continuation of the pre-Civil War economic hierarchy"
So ,they thought they would maintain the economic status as before.

Give kudos if you agree with the answer ,otherwise give kudos anyway

abhimahna · Answer

7 Mins. All Correct. Answers are C,A and D.

Skywalker18 · Answer

Took 7 mins 10 seconds

, including 2 mins 40 seconds to read the passage (Latest attempt --5 mins 30 seconds) -The author does not state an opinion but merely states facts - The author describes lien laws, the interpretation of those laws by planters and the fact that the lien laws had the opposite of their intended effect 1."Lien laws, the centerpiece of a system designed to create a dependent labor force, became the means for workers, with alternative means of supply advances, to escape that dependence." Answer C 2."Planters planned to use their supply credit to control their workers, former slaves who were without money to rent land or buy supplies." Answer A 3. "The newly freed workers, seeking to become self-employed tenant farmers rather than wage laborers, made direct arrangements with merchants for supplies." Answer D

JasonClark · Answer

A quick question.
Are planters the landlords(slaveholders) or the laborers?
I am confused.

Bowtye · Answer

Was able to complete in 4:42 C, A, D. That is about 1:34 on each question, which keeps in me inline to finish on time. However, on the practice OG CAT I ran out of time so I guess I will need to keep practicing.

prashantrchawla · Answer

All correct. 7 min 45 second.

shanki16 · Answer

2min 25 sec including reading time. All correct.

Nightmare007 · Answer

4 min 30 seconds all correct - including reading time.

GMATPREP ChallengeQ-Planter-legislators of the post-Civil War southern

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