Reading Passage Question

Dogs were domesticated between 40,000 and 20,000 years ago. However, most of the varieties that we see today are just 150 years old. Before the Victorian era, there were different types of dog, but the number of types was modest compared to what we have today. And different words were used to mean ‘type’ – for example, kind, race, sort, strain and variety besides type – which was largely defined by their function. Since a hound or a shepherd dog can double up as a watchdog to a certain extent, categorizing based on function tends to produce a continuum rather than a set of well-defined boxes. By the time the Victorians exited the scene, only one term was used: breed. This was more than a change in language. Dog were now defined by their form, not their function. With the invention of breed, the different types became like the blocks on a paint color card – discrete, uniform and standardized. The greater differentiation of breeds increased their number. In the 1840s, just two types of terrier were recognized; by the end of the Victorian period, there were 10, and proliferation continued – today there are 27.

The advent of dog shows drove the creation of breed. The groups running these events and driving these changes were styled the ‘dog fancy’, and the aficionados of the new canines ‘doggy people’. Breed standards were contingent and contested, decided as competitions selected the best dogs in each class. Owners gained prestige, and some income, from sales and stud fees. Competition at shows and in the market drove specialization, in the specification of ideal forms; standardization, in the designs of physical conformations; objectification, in viewing dogs’ bodies as made up of parts; commodification, in promoting dogs as tradable goods; differentiation, in the proliferation of breeds; and alienation, as ability and character became secondary to form.

The templates for breed conformation standards drew upon history, art, natural history, physiology, anatomy, and aesthetics. There was a tension in breeding between earned and inherited worth, that is, between ‘best in breed’ winners, chosen in competitions, and ‘pure blood’ dogs with pedigrees showing superior inheritance.

This tension points to the divisions among doggy people who were gentlemen-amateurs, and those who were trader-professionals. The former, predominantly from the upper classes, defined themselves as ‘dog lovers’. They were men (few women were active in the dog fancy until the 1890s), who were themselves of the right breeding, to use their parlance. They claimed to be interested only in the long-term improvement of the nation’s dogs, and saw themselves in a struggle against entrepreneurs, whom they styled as ‘dog dealers’, interested only in short-term profit and social success.

Dog breeds were associated with class and gender. Sporting dogs were favored by the upper classes, even though few show dogs were used in the field. Middle-class owners wanted fashionable breeds that indicated status and wealth. Ladies favored toy breeds, as well as fashion icons such as the Borzois. There were working-class fanciers, particularly fond of bulldogs, terriers and whippets. National identities were also evident. For example, there were struggles over the differentiation of the Skye from other terriers, and whether ‘immigrants’ such as Newfoundlands, Great Danes and Basset hounds had been improved sufficiently to count as British.

However, all dog fanciers – irrespective of their social standing – aimed at bringing every dog up to standard, producing uniform breed populations and thus improving the nation’s dogs. With individual breeds, the aim might be to change a particular feature for reasons of taste and aesthetics, or more radically to manufacture a whole new breed by adding or subtracting physical attributes. The most controversial new breed of the era was the Irish wolfhound, which had disappeared from Ireland in the mid-18th century when the wolf was hunted to extinction. However, one man set out to recover the lost breed, and his story exemplifies how the new breeds were invented culturally and materially.

“Dogs were domesticated between 40,000 and 20,000 years ago”- is a passage for the GMAT that addresses reading comprehension. Candidates must have a firm understanding of GMAT reading comprehension in English. This GMAT reading comprehension section consists of two comprehension questions. The purpose of the GMAT Reading Comprehension questions is to assess a candidate's capacity to understand, evaluate, and apply knowledge or ideas. By responding to the GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions section, candidates can actively practice.

Solutions and Explanation

1. According to the passage, which of the following had most probably caused the number of dog ‘types’ to remain relatively low until the Victorian era dawned?

1. From the human point of view, dogs can serve a limited number of purposes.
2. Non-aficionados cannot distinguish between breeds that are slightly different from each other.
3. During the Victorian era, English society was further divided into many more subclasses
4. During the Victorian era, dogs from different countries started converging in every country, leading to newer types of hybrids for the first time in history
5. Earlier, breeders did not have a conscious desire to ‘improve’ the breed

2. Which of the following is in accordance with the passage?

1. The “best in breed” dogs were more closely associated with the gentlemen-amateurs than with the trader-professionals.
2. The Borzoi was an “immigrant” breed imported from Russia.
3. Very few women were part of the side referred to in the passage as “dog dealers”.
4. The terrier was less expensive to maintain than the Basset hound was.
5. The Skye was a terrier breed that originated outside Britain.

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