GMATPrep Reading Comp: Tackling a History Passage - Part 4
Are you ready for your fourth question? Weve been examining a History RC passagefrom the GMATPrep free exams. If youre just starting, go through the earlier installments first, then come back to this oneand feel free to do all four questions (one per installment) in a block for the passage. (Take some screen shots or set up separate browser tabs so that you can cycle through them all efficiently.)
Here are the passage and the fourth problem. Good luck!
Two recent publications offer different assessments of the career of the famous British nurse Florence Nightingale. A book by Anne Summers seeks to debunk the idealizations and present a reality at odds with Nightingale's heroic reputation. According to Summers, Nightingales importance during the Crimean War has been exaggerated: not until near the wars end did she become supervisor of the female nurses. Additionally, Summers writes that the contribution of the nurses to the relief of the wounded was at best marginal. The prevailing problems of military medicine were caused by army organizational practices, and the addition of a few nurses to the medical staff could be no more than symbolic. Nightingales place in the national pantheon, Summers asserts, is largely due to the propagandistic efforts of contemporary newspaper reporters.
By contrast, the editors of the new volume of Nightingales letters view Nightingale as a person who significantly influenced not only her own age but also subsequent generations. They highlight her ongoing efforts to reform sanitary conditions after the war. For example, when she learned that peacetime living conditions in British barracks were so horrible that the death rate of enlisted men far exceeded that of neighboring civilian populations, she succeeded in persuading the government to establish a Royal Commission on the Health of the Army. She used sums raised through public contributions to found a nurse's training hospital in London. Even in administrative matters, the editors assert, her practical intelligence was formidable: as recently as 1947 the British Army's medical services were still using the cost-accounting system she devised in the 1860s.I believe that the evidence of her letters supports continued respect for Nightingales brilliance and creativity. When counseling a village schoolmaster to encourage children to use their faculties of observation, she sounds like a modern educator. Her insistence on classifying the problems of the needy in order to devise appropriate treatments is similar to the approach of modern social workers. In sum, although Nightingale may not have achieved all of her goals during the Crimean War, her breadth of vision and ability to realize ambitious projects have earned her an eminent place among the ranks of social pioneers.
With which of the following statements regarding the differing interpretations of Nightingales importance would the author most likely agree?
(A) Summers misunderstood both the importance of Nightingales achievements during the Crimean War and her subsequent influence on British policy.
(B) The editors of Nightingales letters made some valid points about her practical achievements, but they still exaggerated her influence on subsequent generations.
(C) Although Summers account of Nightingales role in the Crimean War may be accurate, she ignored evidence of Nightingales subsequent achievement that suggests that her reputation as an eminent social reformer is well deserved.
(D) The editors of Nightingales letters mistakenly propagated the outdated idealization of Nightingale that only impedes attempts to arrive at a balanced assessment of her true role.
(E) The evidence of Nightingales letters supports Summers conclusion both about Nightingales activities and about her influence.
First, what kind of question is this one?
It asks us to find an answer with which the author [would] most likely agree. You can think of this as a sort of mix of Primary Purpose (main idea) and Specific Detail. The answer should go along with the main idea (since the main idea is the authors idea) but youll likely have to get more into the detail than that. The specific wording of the question stem will tell you what kind of detail you need to examine.
In this case, the question talks about the differing interpretations of Nightingales importance. Glance at your Map, with an eye toward reminding yourself about each of those interpretations and what the author thought about them. Heres my Map:
Use that to jog your memory.
Summers is not a fan of FN.
But the editors are.
The author mostly goes along with the editors, though she does acknowledge that Summers may have had a point.
This would be a good time to go back into the text of the third paragraph to clarify exactly what the author thought.
I believe that the evidence of her letters supports continued respect for Nightingales brilliance and creativity. [skimming.examplesskimming] In sum, although Nightingale may not have achieved all of her goals during the Crimean War, her breadth of vision and ability to realize ambitious projects have earned her an eminent place among the ranks of social pioneers.
So the author acknowledges that Summers might be right that FNs accomplishments during the Crimean War might have been somewhat exaggerated, but overall the author thinks that FN did some amazing things and her reputation is justified.
Okay, which answer choice matches that idea?
(A) Summers misunderstood both the importance of Nightingales achievements during the Crimean War and her subsequent influence on British policy.
The author does seem to think that Summers position about FNs overall influence on British policy is not correct. However, the author also acknowledges that Summers might have a point about the importance of FNs achievements during the Crimean Warnot that Summers misunderstood that part. Eliminate (A).
(B) The editors of Nightingales letters made some valid points about her practical achievements, but they still exaggerated her influence on subsequent generations.
The author mostly agrees with the editors. She doesnt say that they exaggerated anything. Rather, she acknowledges that Summers viewpoint (that Nightingales importance during the Crimean War has been exaggerated) may be valid. Eliminate (B).
(C) Although Summers account of Nightingales role in the Crimean War may be accurate, she ignored evidence of Nightingales subsequent achievement that suggests that her reputation as an eminent social reformer is well deserved.
The first part of this matches what we said: the author acknowledges that Summers view of FNs role in the Crimean War may be valid. The second part might be good, too, as it does criticize Summers for not giving FN more credit for other things.
The words she ignored evidence are pretty strong, thoughso double check paragraph 3. The author begins by praising the evidence of the letters (discussed in paragraph 2ie, not Summers evidence). The passage doesnt indicate that Summers addresses this evidence, so perhaps ignored could be acceptable.
Leave this inbut if something else exists that doesnt have this kind of possible objection, that other choice might be better.
(D) The editors of Nightingales letters mistakenly propagated the outdated idealization of Nightingale that only impedes attempts to arrive at a balanced assessment of her true role.
This choice says that the editors have a faulty view of FN, but thats not what the author thinks. The author generally agrees with what the editors said. Eliminate (D).
(E) The evidence of Nightingales letters supports Summers conclusion both about Nightingales activities and about her influence.
The editors argue that the letters do not support Summers conclusionand the author generally agrees with the editors. In other words, the author does not think that the letters support Summers point of view. Eliminate (E).
Everything else has been eliminated, so the correct answer is (C).
Make sure to check back for the next installment in this series.
Key Takeaways for RC
(1) Follow the process. Dont skip steps! Thats how mistakes creep in.
(2) On your read-through, go for the big ideas and the main contrasts or twists. Dont get sucked into annoying detail. Jot down an abbreviated Map to help you navigate the passage later, when youre answering questions. By the time youre done, you will (hopefully!) be able to articulate the Simple Story of the passage.
(3) Know what kind of question type you have, as each type is asking you to perform a different kind of analysis. Occasionally, youll see a question like this onesomething that asks what the author would most likely agree with. Keep an eye out for two things. First, the correct answer has to go along with the authors overall point or position, so remind yourself what that is. Second, the passage will have some kind of twists with respect to that overall positionotherwise, the question would be too easy. Dive into the detail enough to make sure that you know what the author thinks as well as what the author does not think, so you can avoid the trap answers.
* GMATPrep questions courtesy of the Graduate Management Admissions Council. Usage of this question does not imply endorsement by GMAC.