In American Genesis, which covers
the century of technological innovation
in the United States beginning in 1876,
Line Thomas Hughes assigns special promi-
(5) nence to Thomas Edison as archetype
of the independent nineteenth-century
inventor. However, Hughes virtually
ignores Edison’s famous contem-
porary and notorious adversary in
(10) the field of electric light and power,
George Westinghouse. This com-
parative neglect of Westinghouse is
consistent with other recent historians’
works, although it marks an intriguing
(15) departure from the prevailing view
during the inventors’ lifetimes (and for
decades afterward) of Edison and
Westinghouse as the two “pioneer
innovators” of the electrical industry.
(20) My recent reevaluation of Westing-
house, facilitated by materials found
in railroad archives, suggests that
while Westinghouse and Edison shared
important traits as inventors, they
(25) differed markedly in their approach to
the business aspects of innovation.
For Edison as an inventor, novelty
was always paramount: the overriding
goal of the business of innovation was
(30) simply to generate funding for new
inventions. Edison therefore undertook
just enough sales, product development,
and manufacturing to accomplish this.
Westinghouse, however, shared the
(35) attitudes of the railroads and other
industries for whom he developed
innovations: product development,
standardization, system, and order
were top priorities. Westinghouse
(40) thus better exemplifies the systematic
approach to technological development
that would become a hallmark of modern
corporate research and development.
Q5:
The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. reevaluate a controversial theory
B. identify the flaws in a study
C. propose a new method of historical research
D. compare two contrasting analyses
E. provide a fresh perspective
Answer:
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Q6:
According to the passage, Edison’s chief concern as an inventor was the
A. availability of a commercial market
B. costs of developing a prototype
C. originality of his inventions
D. maintenance of high standards throughout production
E. generation of enough profits to pay for continued marketing
Answer:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q7:
The author of the passage implies that the shift away from the views of Westinghouse’s contemporaries should be regarded as
A. a natural outgrowth of the recent revival of interest in Edison
B. a result of scholarship based on previously unknown documents
C. reflective of modern neglect of the views of previous generations
D. inevitable, given the changing trends in historical interpretations
E. surprising, given the stature that Westinghouse once had
Answer:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the century of technological innovation
in the United States beginning in 1876,
Line Thomas Hughes assigns special promi-
(5) nence to Thomas Edison as archetype
of the independent nineteenth-century
inventor. However, Hughes virtually
ignores Edison’s famous contem-
porary and notorious adversary in
(10) the field of electric light and power,
George Westinghouse. This com-
parative neglect of Westinghouse is
consistent with other recent historians’
works, although it marks an intriguing
(15) departure from the prevailing view
during the inventors’ lifetimes (and for
decades afterward) of Edison and
Westinghouse as the two “pioneer
innovators” of the electrical industry.
(20) My recent reevaluation of Westing-
house, facilitated by materials found
in railroad archives, suggests that
while Westinghouse and Edison shared
important traits as inventors, they
(25) differed markedly in their approach to
the business aspects of innovation.
For Edison as an inventor, novelty
was always paramount: the overriding
goal of the business of innovation was
(30) simply to generate funding for new
inventions. Edison therefore undertook
just enough sales, product development,
and manufacturing to accomplish this.
Westinghouse, however, shared the
(35) attitudes of the railroads and other
industries for whom he developed
innovations: product development,
standardization, system, and order
were top priorities. Westinghouse
(40) thus better exemplifies the systematic
approach to technological development
that would become a hallmark of modern
corporate research and development.
Q5:
The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. reevaluate a controversial theory
B. identify the flaws in a study
C. propose a new method of historical research
D. compare two contrasting analyses
E. provide a fresh perspective
Answer:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q6:
According to the passage, Edison’s chief concern as an inventor was the
A. availability of a commercial market
B. costs of developing a prototype
C. originality of his inventions
D. maintenance of high standards throughout production
E. generation of enough profits to pay for continued marketing
Answer:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q7:
The author of the passage implies that the shift away from the views of Westinghouse’s contemporaries should be regarded as
A. a natural outgrowth of the recent revival of interest in Edison
B. a result of scholarship based on previously unknown documents
C. reflective of modern neglect of the views of previous generations
D. inevitable, given the changing trends in historical interpretations
E. surprising, given the stature that Westinghouse once had
Answer:
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