Reading Comprehension

In a 1984 book, Claire C.
Robertson argued that,
before colonialism, age was
Line a more important indicator
(5) of status and authority than
gender in Ghana and in
Africa generally. British
colonialism imposed
European-style male-
(10) dominant notions upon
more egalitarian local
situations to the detriment
of women generally, and
gender became a defining
(15) characteristic that weak-
ened women's power and
authority.
Subsequent research in
Kenya convinced Robertson
(20) that she had overgeneralized
about Africa. Before colo-
nialism, gender was more
salient in central Kenya than
it was in Ghana, although age
(25) was still crucial in determin-
ing authority. In contrast with
Ghana, where women had
traded for hundreds of years
and achieved legal majority
(30) (not unrelated phenomena),
the evidence regarding
central Kenya indicated that
women were legal minors
and were sometimes treated
(35) as male property, as were
European women at that
time. Factors like strong
patrilinearity and patrilocality,
as well as women's inferior
(40) land rights and lesser
involvement in trade, made23
women more dependent on
men than was generally the
case in Ghana. However,
(45) since age apparently
remained the overriding
principle of social organiza-
tion in central Kenya, some
senior women had much
(50) authority. Thus, Robertson
revised her hypothesis
somewhat, arguing that
in determining authority in
precolonial Africa age was a
(55) primary principle that super-
seded gender to varying
degrees depending on the
situation.
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Q3:
The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. present evidence undermining a certain hypothesis
B. describe a particular position and its subsequent modification
C. discuss two contrasting viewpoints regarding a particular issue
D. describe how a social phenomenon varied by region
E. evaluate an assumption widely held by scholars
Answer:
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Q4:
The passage indicates that Robertson's research in Kenya caused her to change her mind
regarding which of the following?
A. Whether age was the prevailing principle of social organization in Kenya before
colonialism
B. Whether gender was the primary determinant of social authority in Africa
generally before colonialism
C. Whether it was only after colonialism that gender became a significant
determinant of authority in Kenyan society
D. Whether age was a crucial factor determining authority in Africa after colonialism
E. Whether British colonialism imposed European-style male-dominant notions
upon local situations in Ghana
Answer:
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Q5:23
The passage suggests that after conducting the research mentioned in line 18, but not
before, Robertson would have agreed with which of the following about women's status
and authority in Ghana?
A. Greater land rights and greater involvement in trade made women in precolonial
Ghana less dependent on men than were European women at that time.
B. Colonialism had a greater impact on the status and authority of Ghanaian women
than on Kenyan women.
C. Colonialism had less of an impact on the status and authority of Ghanaian women
that it had on the status and authority of other African women.
D. The relative independence of Ghanaian women prior to colonialism was unique in
Africa.
E. Before colonialism, the status and authority of Ghanaian women was similar to
that of Kenyan women.
Answer:
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Q6:
The author of the passage mentions the status of age as a principle of social organization
in precolonial central Kenya in lines 24-26 most likely in order to
A. indicate that women's dependence on men in precolonial Kenya was not absolute
B. contrast the situation of senior women to that of less senior women in precolonial
Kenyan society
C. differentiate between the status and authority of precolonial Kenyan women and
that of precolonial Ghanaian women
D. explain why age superseded gender to a greater extent in precolonial Kenya than
it did elsewhere in Africa
E. identify a factor that led Robertson to revise her hypothesis about precolonial
Africa