During the Final Decades of the Nineteenth Century, America Experienced unprecedented GMAT Reading Comprehension

byRituparna Nath Content Writer at Study Abroad Exams

Reading Passage Question

During the final decades of the nineteenth century, America experienced unprecedented technological innovation and industrial expansion. Railroads spanned the country, linking the eastern and western states. Steam-powered engines fueled the mighty factories built along the waterways of the Northeast. The west offered seemingly endless resources: timber, gold and silver. As people left their farms and immigrants arrived to work in the booming urban centers, the labor force changed from skilled artisans to assembly-line workers, who felt chained to the machines of industrial progress. America's transformation from an agrarian to an industrialized economy was a time when great fortunes were amassed by the speculative industrialists and financiers, known as robber barons, who used such unscrupulous tactics as vertical and horizontal integration to increase profits and create monopolies. As profits grew, so did America's standard of living, as per capita income and production exceeded those of any other nation, excluding Britain. But not all shared in the newfound wealth. The exploding population of cities created disease-ridden slums that grew larger with the influx of immigrants, exploited by corrupt political bosses with the promise of work in exchange for their votes. Men, women and children worked long hours for low pay in unsafe factories to keep up with the demand for cheap, mass-produced products.

By the early twentieth century, many of the Protestant, college-educated, middle-class citizens were disturbed by the materialism, corruption and economic polarization, and felt a moral and social obligation to reshape the American landscape on a path aligned with what they believed the nation's founding fathers had intended. From 1900 to 1918, these progressives led a movement to battle the problems of industrialization and urbanization. Legislation was enacted that restricted child labor, established a minimum wage, regulated working conditions, and gave the public increased control of government through primaries to elect political leaders. Theodore Roosevelt departed from the laissez-faire approach and extended the executive branches of government to curtail monopolistic practices and ensure competition. Industries, like meat-packing, railroads and banks, became federally regulated. This precedent of addressing social and economic issues at the federal, state and local levels was significant for it changed the expectations of the role that government would play in society and inspired the recovery from the Depression of 1929.

“During the Final Decades of the Nineteenth Century, America Experienced unprecedented”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates must have a solid grip on English GMAT reading comprehension. There are 3 multiple-choice questions in the above GMAT Reading Comprehension passages. GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions are delineated to evaluate candidates’ abilities to analyze and be conceptual for the answers. Candidates can brace up and take preparation by answering GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation:

All of the following points are supported by the passage, EXCEPT:?

By the end of the nineteenth century, America had essentially transitioned from an agrarian to an industrialized society.
The administrations prior to Roosevelt did not strongly interfere with the operations of big businesses.
The "progressives" believed that the ideals of democracy had dramatically shifted away from their original intent.
The business practices of many of the early "robber barons"Â were intentionally designed to handicap competition.
The Progressive Movement created national awareness of the problems brought about by industrialization and urbanization.

Answer: (e).
Explanation: For option A, the first paragraph states that America had transformed from an agrarian to an industrialized economy. choice B is supported by the fourth sentence of the second paragraph, which says that Roosevelt departed from the laissez-faire' approach. It curtailed unfair business practices, implying that prior administrations did not necessarily do so. Option C is mentioned in the first sentence of the second paragraph. It states that the progressives wanted to realign America's direction on a path they believed that the founding fathers intended. All that the passage states are that the progressives took action to battle the problems of industrialization and urbanization. Hence option E is the correct answer that doesn’t support the passage.

Which of the following situations is most consistent with the progressives' principles and actions?

A group of legislators forms a series of town hall meetings to determine which reforms citizens desire most.
Citizens from neighboring towns form a multidistrict Parent-Teacher Organization to formulate solutions for budget cuts in lower-income schools.
A laid-off factory worker writes his congressman to ask for subsidies for his declining industry.
Students at a university stage a sit-in at the dormitory cafeteria to campaign for healthier dining options.
Prominent musicians band together for a benefit concert to raise money for victims of an overseas natural disaster.

Answer(b)
Explanation: The progressives sought highly equitable opportunities for the nation's working class, and worked collectively all across the nation to implement changes. Answer choice B, the correct answer, follows a similar way, as citizens from multiple communities act. It collectively provides more equitable opportunities for poor people. In answer to option A, the solutions come from the legislators, and not the citizens. Option C is incorrect because the worker acts alone, and only requests change but does not provide his own solution. Option D is incorrect because the students don't act across a broad scope, only encompassing one school, and because the cause is not one of equal opportunity. option E is incorrect because the actors in the situation are not citizens seeking assistance for their own cause. The cause is not one of equal opportunity, but rather charity for another group. Hence option B is the correct option.

The passage suggests which of the following about American society prior to the early twentieth century?

Though assembly-line workers did not receive much of the value that their work produced, they felt that they did not have a choice but to continue to work in the industrial factories.
Farming was becoming less important, which is why many farmers left their land to work in the factories.
Prior to industrialization, workers had better working conditions and were less exploited.
There was less wealth polarization between America's upper-class and its labor force.
The United States became the world leader in applied technology and production.

Answer: (a)
Explanation: by keeping aside the first option which is correct we can go through the remaining options (B). While the passage states that farmers left their land to work in the urban centers. It does not say that farming was becoming less important, making this answer incorrect. (C) Although the tone of the passage is negative toward the industrialized working conditions. So, nowhere does the passage state that prior to industrialization were working conditions better or that workers were not exploited, making (C) incorrect. (D): Again, the passage does not say that the disparity of wealth was more extreme in one period of American history than another. (E): The first paragraph states that America's per capita income and the production exceeded those of any other nation, excluding Britain. Thus, the US was not the world leader. It may have a connection with Britain, but it did not surpass it.

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During the Final Decades of the Nineteenth Century, America Experienced unprecedented GMAT Reading Comprehension

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