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reachac · Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:51 pm

Recent feminist scholarship con-
cerning the United States in the 1920's
challenges earlier interpretations that
assessed the twenties in terms of the
unkept "promises" of the women's (5)
suffrage movement. This new scholar-
ship disputes the long-held view that
because a women's voting bloc did not
materialize after women gained the right
to vote in 1920, suffrage failed to (10)
produce long-term political gains for
women. These feminist scholars also
challenge the old view that pronounced
suffrage a failure for not delivering on
the promise that the women's vote (15)
would bring about moral, corruption-
free governance. Asked whether
women's suffrage was a failure, these
scholars cite the words of turn-of-the-
century social reformer Jane Addams, (20)
"Why don't you ask if suffrage in
general is failing?"

In some ways, however, these
scholars still present the 1920's as a
period of decline. After suffrage, they (25)
argue, the feminist movement lost its
cohesiveness, and gender conscious-
ness waned. After the mid-1920's, few
successes could be claimed by fem-
inist reformers: little could be seen in (30)
the way of legislative victories.

During this decade, however, there
was intense activism aimed at achiev-
ing increased autonomy for women,
broadening the spheres within which
they lived their daily lives. Women's
organizations worked to establish
opportunities for women: they strove to
secure for women the full entitlements
of citizenship, including the right to hold
office and the right to serve on juries.

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Q35:
The passage is primarily concerned with

A. providing evidence indicating that feminist reformers of the 1920's failed to reach some of their goals
B. presenting scholarship that contrasts suffragist "promises" with the historical realities of the 1920's
C. discussing recent scholarship concerning the achievements of women's suffrage during the 1920's and presenting an alternative view of those achievements
D. outlining recent findings concerning events leading to suffrage for women in the 1920's and presenting a challenge to those findings
E. providing support for a traditional view of the success of feminist attempts to increase gender consciousness among women during the 1920's
Answer:
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Q36:
It can be inferred that the author of the passage disagrees with the "new scholarship" mentioned in lines 6-7 regarding the

A. degree to which the "promises" of the suffrage movement remained unkept
B. degree to which suffrage for women improved the morality of governance
C. degree to which the 1920's represented a period of decline for the feminist movement
D. degree of legislative success achieved by feminist reformers during the 1920's
E. accuracy of the view that a women's voting bloc did not materialize once suffrage was achieved
Answer:
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Q37:
The purpose of the second paragraph (lines 23-31) of the passage is to

A. suggest a reason why suffragist "promises" were not kept
B. contrast suffragist "promises" with the reality of the 1920's
C. deplore the lack of successful feminist reform in 1920's
D. explain a view held by feminist scholars
E. answer the question asked by Jane Addams

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