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Indeed, The Whole Concept of “Politics” Changes During The Latter Half GMAT Reading Comprehension

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Reading Passage Question

Indeed, the whole concept of “politics” changes during the latter half of the twentieth century. Early on, United States politics in regard to literature was a more limited reflection of European dissatisfactions, played out in the inevitable, and usually clamorous, battles of “left” and “right.” In literary circles, the bleak influence of European existentialism changed the priorities of, particularly, drama, but also led to worldwide recognition of such fiction writers as William Faulkner, Nelson Algren, James Agee, Ralph Ellison, Richard Wright, and John Steinbeck. European opinion coloured the critical reception of much United States writing.

By the later twentieth century, however, after the furor of the challenging 1960s rights movements in both race and gender, “politics” took on a much more inclusive definition. Rather than being rooted in governmental policies, it stemmed from the deepest dichotomy possible: that of the human being set in opposition to the non-human.

Solutions and Explanation

  1. Which of the following would be the most likely next sentence in this passage?

(A) Fiction was no longer of any interest.
(B) The era of human vs. robot had begun.
(C) Also, writers were very concerned about the class of their characters.
(D) Although, existentialism continued to be a trend.
(E) American literature remained a mirror of European concerns.

Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
The second paragraph depicts that by the later 20th century, "politics" seems to obtain a far more inclusive sense. This is because of the turmoil of the challenging 1960s campaigns for racial and gender rights. It was caused by the most profound contrast imaginable. That of the human in opposition to the non-human—not by political measures. The next sentence of the passage would be “The era of human vs. robot had begun”. Therefore option B is the correct answer. The reason is that the author contends that American attitudes toward equality began to change in the late 1960s.

  1. The author incorporates the names of several famous authors for what likely purpose?

(A) To provide a reading list for interested librarians who want to put together a display about European existentialist writers.
(B) To provide a list of a-political writers.
(C) To show that existentialism was far more influential on novelists than dramatists.
(D) To back up her point with a list of examples that prove it.
(E) To work a favorite author into her book.

Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
The passage states that the author mentioned the name of various authors in order to gain certain evidence. He called out the names of William Faulkner, Nelson Algren, James Agee, Ralph Ellison, Richard Wright, and John Steinbeck. In order to prove her point. Therefore, D is the correct answer as it holds the accurate information depicted in the passage.

  1. Which of the following statements most accurately captures the main point of the passage?

(A) The idea of “politics” in American literature changed in the second half of the 20th century.
(B) European existentialism played a heretofore unrecognized role in influencing American fiction writers.
(C) American writers were obsessed with robots.
(D) The word “politics” has a nebulous, ever-changing meaning when it comes to literature.
(E) The style of American literature is not as standardized as some may think.

Correct Answer: A
Explanation:
As stated in the first line of the passage, the whole concept of "politics" alters in the latter half of the twentieth century. Therefore, it is clearly evident that option A is the correct answer. It suggests the exact facts regarding American literature that satisfy the content described in the passage.

  1. According to the passage, a poor review in a major European newspaper of a new American novel could lead to which of the following?

(A) Poor sales in America for that novel.
(B) Poor sales in Europe for that novel.
(C) American critical reception that was influenced by the poor review from Europe.
(D) The publishing company abandoning the novel
(E) The end of the writer’s career.

Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
The first paragraph of the passage clearly depicts that European opinion influenced how much American writing was regarded critically. This implies indirectly that America will receive the writing critically as a result of Europe's negative response. Therefore, C is the correct answer as it satisfies the content of the passage.

“Indeed, the whole concept of “politics” changes during the latter half”- is a GM AT reading comprehension passage of the GMAT exam. The candidates must possess a solid understanding of the English language to analyze the English GMAT reading comprehension passage. The candidates can answer more GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions in order to boost their reading skills.

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