Reading Comprehension

I am particularly interested in Question 1 - I will post the OA later.

Maps made by non-Native Americans to depict Native American land tenure, resources and
population distributions appeared almost as early as Europeans' first encounters with Native
Americans and took many form: missionaries' field sketches, explorers' drawings, and surveyors'
maps, as well as maps rendered in connection with treaties involving land transfers. Most existing
maps of Native American lands are reconstructions that are based largely on archaeology, oral
reports, and evidence gathered from observers' accounts in letter, diaries, and official reports;
accordingly, the accuracy of these maps is especially dependent on the mapmakers' own
interpretive abilities.
Many existing maps also reflect the 150-year role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in
administering tribal lands. Though these maps incorporate some information gleaned directly from
Native Americans, rarely has Native American cartography contributed to this official record,
which has been compiled, surveyed, and authenticated by non-Native American tribes and their
migrations and cultural features, as well as territoriality and contemporary trust lands, reflects the
origins of the data, the mixed purposes for which the maps have been prepared, and changes both I
United States government policy and in non-Native Americans' attitudes toward an understanding
of Native Americans.


Which of the following best describes the content of the passage?
(A) A chronology of the development of different methods for mapping Native Americans
(B) A discussion of how the mapmaking techniques of Native Americans differed from those of
Europeans
(C) An argument concerning the presenta-day uses to which historical maps of Native
American lands are put
(D) An argument concerning the nature of information contained in maps of Native American
lands
(E) A proposal for improving the accuracy of maps of Native American lands


The passage mentions each of the following as a factor affecting current maps of Native
American lands EXCEPT
(A) United States government policy
(B) non-Native Americans' perspective on Native Americans
(C) origins of the information utilized to produce the maps
(D) changes in wys that tribal lands are used
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(E) the reason for producing the maps

Hi vineet!

The OA for question 1 should be D. First, the author relates the origins and source of "maps made by non-native North Americans to depict Native American land...".

Next, the author provides some reasons (no Native American contribution, maps' being dependent on cartographers' interpretive abilites, purposes for which the maps are used, etc) for why the accuracy of these maps can be questioned.

Therefore, an accurate descroption of the contens of the passage would be "An argument concerning the nature of information contained in maps of Native American lands."

Was there a particular wrong answer that was tempting you?

Cheers,

Testluv

hmmm,

I still think the answer should be D but his main point is not about the accuracy of the information in the maps; rather it is that they have lacked Native American input. This still, of course, qualifes as an argument about the "nature of information" in the maps.

(Of course, the author would probably agree that, because of this, their accuracy can be questioned).

1) D. i try to read the other four answers many times but i still think D is the best.
2) E

Testluv,

Apologies for the delayed response, I agree that D is the best option and the OA, but that doesn't reflect the main point of the passage.

The main point is, as you said, that not enough information is taken from Non Native guys to make the maps.

What does D really mean

D An argument concerning the nature of information contained in maps of Native American lands

does argument means that the passage is presenting an argument questioning the information of the maps or does it mean something else.

vineetbatra wrote:Testluv,

Apologies for the delayed response, I agree that D is the best option and the OA, but that doesn't reflect the main point of the passage.

The main point is, as you said, that not enough information is taken from Non Native guys to make the maps.

What does D really mean

D An argument concerning the nature of information contained in maps of Native American lands

does argument means that the passage is presenting an argument questioning the information of the maps or does it mean something else.

You mean, not enough information taken from natives (rather than non-natives) to make the maps.

As I said in my post above, that can be considered an argument concerning the nature of information contained in the maps.

I chose "A" because I didn't think the author was "arguing a point" but merely detailing what is true. What about this passage indicates that it's an argument? The language in that answer choice seemed to extreme to me..

What about this passage indicates that it's an argument?

The fact that he is making a claim.

He is making a claim here (in the last sentence):

Though these maps incorporate some information gleaned directly from
Native Americans, rarely has...

and his claim is about the information in the maps. Thus, he is making an argument "concerning the nature of information contained in maps of Native American lands".

But I think here the formatting here isn't very good, and possibly there are some omissions. Nonetheless, choice D is correct.