Question

The primary purpose of the passage is to

• A. describe the methods used by Native American societies to record the past
• B. discuss the difficulty of incorporating Native American perspectives into historical scholarship
• C. evaluate the relative merits of oral and written sources in Native American history
• D. argue for the importance of according greater legitimacy to Native American oral traditions
• E. explain the historical origins of the view that literacy is superior to orality
• A. A bias on the part of historians against Native American cultures
• B. A belief that oral traditions are not as reliable as written accounts
• C. A tendency to favor the perspectives of colonizers over those of the colonized
• D. A view that literacy is superior to orality
• J. A lack of awareness of Native American oral traditions
• A. They were forced by the Spanish colonizers to abandon their oral traditions.
• B. They did not regard written documents as legitimate records of events.
• C. They used alphabetic writing to record information other than historical events.
• D. They were the first Native American societies to adopt alphabetic writing.
• O. They had a more accurate understanding of their past than did the Spanish colonizers.
• A. Scholars should prioritize oral sources over written sources when studying Native American history.
• B. The adoption of alphabetic writing by Andean societies represents a break from their pre-Columbian past.
• C. The distinction between oral and written modes of transmitting knowledge is less important than the distinction between reliable and unreliable sources.
• D. Historical accounts that rely solely on written sources may fail to capture the full complexity of Native American history.
• T. The Spanish colonizers were unaware of the importance that Andean societies placed on oral traditions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is a primary purpose question. We need to identify the central theme that organizes the entire passage.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The passage begins by stating a goal ("understand indigenous cultures and perspectives") and immediately introduces a problem ("achieving this goal is difficult"). The reason for this difficulty is the main subject: the academic bias that favors written accounts over oral traditions. The passage then uses Rappaport's work to explore this difficulty and her proposed solutions.
Let's evaluate the options:
(A) This is too narrow. The passage discusses methods of recording the past, but only as part of a larger argument about a bias in scholarship.
(B) This option accurately captures the overarching theme. The passage is framed around the "difficulty" of incorporating indigenous perspectives, and it explores the reasons for this difficulty and potential solutions.
(C) The passage does not evaluate the relative merits in a neutral way; it argues against the current unequal evaluation.
(D) This is Rappaport's specific argument, which is a major component of the passage, but the overall purpose is broader. The passage uses her argument to illustrate the central problem.
(E) This is a supporting detail used by Rappaport to explain the bias, not the main purpose of the entire passage.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The passage is structured as a discussion of a central problem in the field of Native American history. This corresponds to option (B).

Answer 2

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is a detail question that asks for the specific reason Rappaport gives for a particular phenomenon. We need to find the exact statement in the passage.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The passage states: "Historian Joanne Rappaport observes that written sources are privileged in historical scholarship, and she argues that this privileging reflects a view that literacy is superior to orality." This sentence directly answers the question.
Let's check the options:
(A), (B), and (C) are all related ideas that might be true, but they are not the specific reason Rappaport gives in this sentence.
(D) This is a direct paraphrase of the text.
(E) The passage suggests the problem is a lack of legitimacy accorded to oral traditions, not a total lack of awareness.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The passage explicitly states that Rappaport connects the privileging of written sources to the view that literacy is superior to orality. This corresponds to option (D).

Answer 3

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is an inference question focused on a specific group mentioned in the passage, the Andean societies. We need to find the statement that can be logically concluded from the text.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The passage states: "When Andean societies were forced to adopt alphabetic writing, they adapted it to meet their needs. For example, indigenous authors used alphabetic writing not only to record events but also to express Andean understandings of the cosmos."
Let's evaluate the options:
(A) This is contradicted by the passage, which says they "continued to rely on oral traditions."
(B) The passage says the Spanish privileged written documents, and the Andeans adapted writing for their own use. It doesn't say they viewed writing as illegitimate, only that they also valued oral traditions.
(C) This is directly supported by the text. "Understandings of the cosmos" is information other than historical events.
(D) The passage does not make this claim; we cannot infer it.
(E) The passage discusses their different methods of recording the past but does not make a judgment about which was more "accurate."
Step 3: Final Answer:
The passage provides a direct example of Andean societies using writing for non-historical purposes. This corresponds to option (C).

Answer 4

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks us to infer the viewpoint of Joanne Rappaport based on the summary of her arguments in the passage. We need to find a statement that aligns with her overall perspective.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Rappaport's central argument is that scholars should "recognize the parity of oral and written modes" and "strive to incorporate both" into their accounts. This implies that using only one mode (especially the traditionally privileged written mode) would result in an incomplete or flawed account.
Let's evaluate the options based on this core argument:
(A) Rappaport argues for "parity" (equality), not prioritizing oral sources over written ones. This contradicts her view.
(B) The passage suggests continuity, not a break. It says Andean societies "adapted" writing to their needs and "continued to rely on oral traditions."
(C) The passage focuses on the distinction between oral and written modes, not reliability. We cannot infer Rappaport's view on this comparison.
(D) This is the logical consequence of Rappaport's argument. If both oral and written sources are necessary to achieve a full picture, then relying only on written sources would lead to an incomplete account that fails to capture the full complexity. This aligns perfectly with her call to "incorporate both."
(E) The passage states the Spanish "privileged" written documents, implying they were aware of other modes but considered them inferior. It doesn't say they were "unaware."
Step 3: Final Answer:
Rappaport's argument for incorporating both oral and written sources strongly implies that accounts based only on written sources are insufficient. This corresponds to option (D).