Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Nov 2211:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Do RC/MSR passages scare you? e-GMAT is conducting a masterclass to help you learn – Learn effective reading strategies Tackle difficult RC & MSR with confidence Excel in timed test environment- Nov 23
11:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Attend this free GMAT Algebra Webinar and learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Value problems with ease. 
Nov 2510:00 AM EST
-11:00 AM EST
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors.
09 Aug 2023, 20:00
Kudos
Bookmarks
Question 1
B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
85%
(hard)
Question Stats:
24% (01:57) correct
76%
(01:59) wrong
based on 214
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 2
D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
68% (01:05) correct 32%
(01:00) wrong
based on 183
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
When you hear the word “swashbuckler,” what image comes to mind? Perhaps you imagine Robin Hood, or Zorro, or one of the Three Musketeers—a people’s hero, dashing and dauntless. However, the word “swashbuckler” did not always evoke such exciting and positive images. This is a case of linguistic amelioration—a word that initially had negative connotations but over time gained neutral or even positive connotations.
When “swashbuckler” first entered usage in the 1600s, it meant a braggart—a loud and abrasive person in whose company you would not care to pass much time. For centuries, this meaning held sway until the early twentieth century, when a new kind of movie plot redefined the word. Such actors as Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks played handsome, sword-wielding heroes who engaged in daring deeds, and the swashbuckler was reborn as the romantic figure who continues to star in movies today. In fact, in the late twentieth century, swashbucklers even ventured into outer space in the form of lightsaber-wielding Jedi knights.
When “swashbuckler” first entered usage in the 1600s, it meant a braggart—a loud and abrasive person in whose company you would not care to pass much time. For centuries, this meaning held sway until the early twentieth century, when a new kind of movie plot redefined the word. Such actors as Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks played handsome, sword-wielding heroes who engaged in daring deeds, and the swashbuckler was reborn as the romantic figure who continues to star in movies today. In fact, in the late twentieth century, swashbucklers even ventured into outer space in the form of lightsaber-wielding Jedi knights.
1. The author mentions “lightsaber-wielding Jedi knights” primarily in order to
A. explain the origins of the swashbuckler character.
B. suggest that the swashbuckler character continues to please audiences.
C. demonstrate that the definition of swashbuckler continues to become more positive.
D. compare swashbucklers of the 1600s to recently popular movie characters.
E. show that lightsabers and swords are similar weapons.
A. explain the origins of the swashbuckler character.
B. suggest that the swashbuckler character continues to please audiences.
C. demonstrate that the definition of swashbuckler continues to become more positive.
D. compare swashbucklers of the 1600s to recently popular movie characters.
E. show that lightsabers and swords are similar weapons.
2. The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements?
I. Swashbucklers of the 1600s were likely mischaracterized as brash braggarts.
II. Multiple types of fictional swashbucklers have been featured in twentieth-century films.
III. A word may undergo linguistic amelioration long after it is first coined.
A. I Only
B. III Only
C. I and III Only
D. II and III Only
E. I, II, and III
I. Swashbucklers of the 1600s were likely mischaracterized as brash braggarts.
II. Multiple types of fictional swashbucklers have been featured in twentieth-century films.
III. A word may undergo linguistic amelioration long after it is first coined.
A. I Only
B. III Only
C. I and III Only
D. II and III Only
E. I, II, and III
RC Butler 2023 - Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.
Passage # 273 Date: 10 Aug-2023
This question is part of RC Butler 2023. Click here for Details
Passage # 273 Date: 10 Aug-2023
This question is part of RC Butler 2023. Click here for Details
18 Oct 2023, 12:25
Kudos
Bookmarks
In question 1, did option C get ruled out since the meaning of the term "swashbuckler" had already turned positive before they used for "lightsaber wielding Jedi Knights"?
18 Oct 2023, 22:37
Kudos
Bookmarks
Aashi108
Official Explanation
1. The author mentions “lightsaber-wielding Jedi knights” primarily in order to
Difficulty Level: Very Hard
Explanation
To understand why the author uses this detail, we must first understand the overall purpose of the passage, which is to inform readers of the etymology of a well-known term. We also note that the passage is organized chronologically—from the time the word “swashbuckler” entered the language in the 1600s until recent times. The author mentions the phrase “lightsaber-wielding Jedi knights” as an example of a swashbuckler as defined in present day. Thus, answer choice (B) is correct.
Answer choice (A) does not fit the passage’s chronological structure because the origins of the swashbuckler were dealt with much earlier in the passage.
Answer choice (C) may look attractive at first if we rely on personal preferences for certain movies, but it is not supported by the passage, which states that the definition of “swashbuckler” became more positive in the early 20th century, not the late 20th century.
Answer choice (D) is incorrect because the passage contrasts the definition of a swashbuckler in the 1600s with a revised definition based on movie characters of the early 20th century, not to compare swashbucklers of these two different time periods.
Answer choice (E) is also incorrect because the passage makes no comparison between any types of weapons.
Therefore the correct answer is (B).
Difficulty Level: Very Hard
Explanation
To understand why the author uses this detail, we must first understand the overall purpose of the passage, which is to inform readers of the etymology of a well-known term. We also note that the passage is organized chronologically—from the time the word “swashbuckler” entered the language in the 1600s until recent times. The author mentions the phrase “lightsaber-wielding Jedi knights” as an example of a swashbuckler as defined in present day. Thus, answer choice (B) is correct.
Answer choice (A) does not fit the passage’s chronological structure because the origins of the swashbuckler were dealt with much earlier in the passage.
Answer choice (C) may look attractive at first if we rely on personal preferences for certain movies, but it is not supported by the passage, which states that the definition of “swashbuckler” became more positive in the early 20th century, not the late 20th century.
Answer choice (D) is incorrect because the passage contrasts the definition of a swashbuckler in the 1600s with a revised definition based on movie characters of the early 20th century, not to compare swashbucklers of these two different time periods.
Answer choice (E) is also incorrect because the passage makes no comparison between any types of weapons.
Therefore the correct answer is (B).
