byRituparna Nath Content Writer at Study Abroad Exams
Reading Passage Questions
Jean Wagner's most enduring contribution to the study of Afro-American poetry is his insistence that it be analyzed in a religious, as well as secular, frame of reference. The appropriateness of such an approach may seem self-evident for a tradition commencing with spirituals and owing its early forms, rhythms, vocabulary, and evangelical fervor to Wesleyan hymnals. But before Wagner a secular outlook that analyzed Black poetry solely within the context of political and social protest was dominant in the field.
It is Wagner who first demonstrated the essential fusion of racial and religious feeling in Afro-American poetry. The two, he argued, form a symbiotic union in which religious feelings are often applied to racial issues and racial problems are often projected onto a metaphysical plane. Wagner found this most eloquently illustrated in the Black spiritual, where the desire for freedom in this world and the hope for salvation in the next are inextricably intertwined.
“Jean Wagner's most enduring contribution to the study of Afro-American poetry” - is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.
This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 3 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.
Solution and Explanation
- The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) contrast the theories of Jean Wagner with those of other contemporary critics
(B) document the influence of Jean Wagner on the development of Afro-American poetry
(C) explain the relevance of Jean Wagner's work to the study of Afro-American religion
(D) indicate the importance of Jean Wagner's analysis of Afro-American poetry
(E) present the contributions of Jean Wagner to the study of Black spirituals
Answer: D
Explanation: The author in the passage states that a hallmark which is the main idea or primary purpose questions. The passage also discusses how important the work of Jean Wagner has been. Hence option D is the correct answer.
- All of the following aspects of Afro-American poetry are referred to in the passage as having been influenced by Wesleyan hymnals EXCEPT
(A) subject matter
(B) word choice
(C) rhythm
(D) structure
(E) tone
Answer: A
Explanation: The author in the first paragraph of the passage states the appropriateness of different approaches. It may seem to be self-evident for a tradition commencing with spirituals. So, owing its early forms, rhythms, vocabulary, and evangelical fervor to Wesleyan hymnals. Hence all except option A is mentioned, making it the most appropriate answer choice.
- It can be inferred from the passage that, before Wagner, most students of Afro-American poetry did which of the following?
(A) Contributed appreciably to the transfer of political protest from Afro-American poetry to direct political action.
(B) Ignored at least some of the historical roots of Afro-American poetry.
(C) Analyzed fully the aspects of social protest to be found in such traditional forms of AfroAmerican poetry as the Black spiritual.
(D) Regarded as unimportant the development of fervent emotionalism in a portion of AfroAmerican poetry.
(E) Concentrated on the complex relations between the technical elements in Afro-American poetry and its political content.
Answer: B
Explanation: The author in the first paragraph of the passage states the appropriateness of self-evident for a tradition commencing with spirituals. He adds on owing its early forms, rhythms, vocabulary, and evangelical fervor to Wesleyan hymnals. He ignored Black poetry solely. This is due to the context of political and social protest being dominant in the field.
Suggested GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions
- A One-Child Policy was Implemented in China in 1979
- Seeking a Competitive Advantage, Some Professional Service Firms
- On the surface, the Conquest of the Aztec Empire by Herman Cortes
- But Man is Not Destined to Vanish. He can be Killed, but he cannot be Destroyed, Because his Soul is Deathless and his Spirit is Irrepressible.
- When Literary Periods are Defined on the Basis of Men’s Writing, Women’s Writing Must be Forcibly Assimilated
- Behind Every Book Review There are Two Key Figures: A Book Review Editor and A Reviewer.
- Barbara Strozzi was a Singer and Composer of Madrigals, Aria
- During the Victorian Period, Women Writers were Measured Against A Social
- It Is Perhaps Not Surprising that Debate has Arisen Over Bioluminescence-Based Biotechnologies
- The Fact that Superior Service can Generate a Competitive Advantage
- The Origin of the Attempt to Distinguish Early from Modern Music
- The Phenomenon of College Basketball's Surging Popularity Remains a Challenge to Classify
- The United States Government has a Long-Standing Policy of Using Federal Funds to Keep Small Business Viable.
- A Recent Study has Provided Clues to Predator-Prey Dynamics in the Late Pleistocene Era.
- Even More Than Mountainside Slides of Mud or Snow, Naturally Occurring Forest Fires Promote the Survival of Aspen Trees.
- The Black Death, a Severe Epidemic that Ravaged Fourteenth Century Europe
- The System of Patent-Granting, Which Confers Temporary Monopolies for the Exploitation of New Technologies
- Ethnohistoric Documents from Sixteenth-Century Mexico Suggesting that Weaving and Cooking were the Most Common Productive Activities for Aztec Women
- Solar Ponds are Bodies of Water in Which Circulation is Incomplete and There is a Very High Salt Concentration that Increases with Depth
- Traditional Social Science Models of Class Groups in the United States are Based on Economic Status
Comments