Reading Passage Question

Different approaches to the issue of cultural expression through the medium of landscape appear in the writings of W.J.T. Mitchell and Mike Davis. Mitchell analyzes how European culture was exported to New Zealand by incorporating local imagery into traditional landscape painting. Davis, on the other hand, addresses the ways in which public spaces in Los Angeles create landscapes of oppression, focusing on the schisms between different socioeconomic and ethnic groups within a society rather than on cultural imperialism. While each writer deals with the topic of landscapes of power, only Davis truly communicates this issue from the vantage point of traditionally disenfranchised groups. He gives particular consideration to the ostracization of the homeless, which he claims was done through the elimination of public restrooms and the redesign of park benches to prevent them from being used for sleep. Davis contends that these efforts constitute a systematic attempt to wield landscape as a tool of authority. As such, the shaped environment of Los Angeles reflects the will of the dominant culture and ignores the needs of those groups not in positions of power. This emphasis on the stratification of space within the city contrasts significantly with Mitchell’s focus on the practice of cultural assimilation used in New Zealand. While both authors concern themselves with the influence of culture upon the landscape, Mitchell deals with representations of the landscape rather than with the actual spaces that provide the subject for Davis’s writing.

“Different approaches to the issue of cultural expression”- is a reading comprehension passage with answers for the GMAT. Candidates must have a strong understanding of English GMAT reading comprehension. This GMAT Reading Comprehension section contains three comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are intended to assess candidates' abilities to comprehend, analyse, and apply information or concepts. GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions can help candidates actively prepare.

Solutions and Explanation

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. reconcile two opposing theories on cultural landscapes
2. criticize an author’s interpretation of the motives for cultural imperialism
3. analyze an author’s studies on landscapes of oppression in Los Angeles
4. discuss two authors’ works in reference to cultural landscapes
5. question the accessibility of public spaces in Los Angeles

2. The author of the passage would most likely agree with which of the following statements regarding Davis’s interpretation of the ways in which public spaces in Los Angeles serve as landscapes of power?

1. Davis provides a unique interpretation of the conditions afflicting disenfranchised groups.
2. Davis evaluates the subject from a traditionally underrepresented point of view.
3. Davis explains the current situation of Los Angeles in terms of earlier cultural imperialism.
4. Davis outlines the cultural needs that result in landscapes of power.
5. Davis fails to consider the implications of making public spaces equally accessible to all people.

3. According to the passage, Davis’s work can be distinguished from Mitchell’s work in that Davis’s

1. addresses the issue of cultural imperialism
2. disregards the role of representations of landscape
3. considers the landscape as a tool for the manifestation of authoritative power
4. sites the intent of landscape design
5. provides a superior study of the landscapes of power

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