Womans demand for equal suffrage is based largely on the contention

Question

Woman’s demand for equal suffrage is based largely on the contention that a woman must have equal rights in all affairs of society. Needless to say, I am not opposed to woman suffrage on the conventional ground that she is not equal to it. I see no physical, psychological, or mental reasons why a woman should not have the equal right to vote with a man. But that cannot possibly blind me to the absurd notion that a woman will accomplish that wherein man has failed. If she would not make things worse, she certainly could not make them better. To assume, therefore, that she would succeed in purifying something which is not susceptible of purification, is to credit her with supernatural powers. Since woman’s greatest misfortune has been that she was looked upon as either angel or devil,  her true salvation lies in being placed on earth ; namely, in being considered human, and therefore subject to all human follies and mistakes. Are we, then, to believe that two wrongs will make one right? Are we to assume that the poison already inherent in politics will be decreased, if women were to enter the political arena? The most ardent suffragists would hardly maintain such a folly.    1  
 1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with:

(A) discussing the possible implications of a change 
(B) arguing that a particular change will not have the desired effect 
(C) exploring definitions of a concept
(D) comparing the advantages of a particular change with its disadvantages 
(E) clarifying an ambiguous term

2  
 2. What can be inferred from the lines ‘her true salvation lies in being placed on earth ( Highlighted )?

(A) The author does not believe that giving women the right to vote would solve the problems that the political system faces.
(B) The author is, in general, against adopting an extreme view of women.
(C) The author does not believe that two wrongs will make one right.
(D) The author believes that women do not have supernatural powers.
(E) The author believes women should suffer as much as men do, no more and no less.

3  
 3. The passage suggests which of the following?

(A) Most ardent suffragists believe that women can succeed where men have failed and that women can cleanse the political system.
(B) In some exceptional circumstances, it is possible for two wrongs to make one right.
(C) If women were to enter the political arena, the poison inherent in politics would be decreased.
(D) Most ardent suffragists believe that giving women the right to vote will not resolve the problems that beset the political system.
(E) The author is overall in favour of women’s suffrage.

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 134 Date: 01-Apr-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

IanStewart · Accepted Answer

It's 2022, and people are writing passages about whether women's suffrage is a good idea?

I don't think the passage deserves much attention, but I agree with the post above mine: E seems a better choice than D to the last question. To justify the OA of D, you'd need to assume the very last sentence of the passage states a fact. But it does not state a fact; it says "would". It's an example of rhetorical device, as the bombastic language indicates, meant to persuade a reader that no one, no matter how "ardent", could agree with the position the essay argues against. But if no one agrees with the position the essay argues against, why write the essay at all? The last sentence is not saying "ardent suffragists do not believe X"; it is instead saying "it would be absurd to believe X (even though some people believe it)".

The second and third sentences of the passage justify answer E; first the author says "I am not opposed", which may not sound precisely like support, but then the author says "I see no physical, psychological or mental reason why a woman should not have" the right to vote, and the tortured double-negative aside, that suggests the author has no reason to oppose suffrage. Since Q3 asks what the passage "suggests" (and doesn't ask for an irrefutable inference), E is a good answer here.

shreya2512 · Answer

in 3, i understand why d is the answer, but why is it not e?

PyjamaScientist · Answer

I agree with the points raised by Ian above. But, I chose  (D)  over (E) because after reading the passage, if there was one thing that I learned from it, then it was- " The author doesn't think giving women equal rights would help better the political system ". 
The author does say that he is not opposed to it, but that in no way is support for equal suffrage. And, the entire passage directs toward this singular idea that the author does not think it's a good idea to give women equal right to vote as it would hardly make any difference.

abhishektyga · Answer

Please provide answers for Q2 and Q3.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. What can be inferred from the lines ‘her true salvation lies in being placed on earth (Highlighted)?

Difficulty Level:   650

Explanation

This line follows from the author’s statement that most people view a woman as either an angel or a devil whereas he just wants a woman to be treated as a human.  (B)  states this best and is the correct answer.

(A)  Though this is true for the overall passage, this is not implied by the quoted lines.

(C)  Again true for the passage but not for the quoted lines.

(D)  Not suggested by the passage.

(E)  Not suggested by the passage.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. The passage suggests which of the following?

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

The last line of the passage states that  ‘most ardent suffragists would hardly maintain such a folly ’. The folly here refers to the notion that giving women the right to vote would solve all the problems that the political system faces. So, if the most ardent suffragists do not agree with this notion, the correct answer has to obviously be  (D) .

(A)  Opposite, as explained above.

(B)  This may sound logical on its own but there is nothing in the passage to support this view.

(C)  Opposite, as explained above.

(E)  Opposite. The author is, in fact, against woman suffrage because of the reason highlighted in the passage.

Answer: D

Womans demand for equal suffrage is based largely on the contention

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Womans demand for equal suffrage is based largely on the contention

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