Reading comp PrepTest 128 · Section 1 · Question 20

Topic: Social Science

Paragraph 1

• Paragraph note
  • Generalization and an Example
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Generalization - Human biases play a large role in the creation of the unified national identities we construct from our cultural pasts
  • Example - Greek civilization had Egyptian/African/Eastern influences, but European scholars stripped that away and focused on European influences

Paragraph 2

• Paragraph note
  • A general example, a specific example of it - tradition
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • General example - Using “tradition” to exert imperial power by projecting it into past
  • Specific example - Queen Victoria’s reign in India celebrated with traditional jamborees

Paragraph 3

• Paragraph note
  • Examples (general and specific) - Colonized fighters
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Native cultures construct idealized image of past to motivate fight for freedom
  • France/Algeria - What was Algeria like before French colonization?

Paragraph 4

• Paragraph note
  • Modern trend; Paradox; Conclusion
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Trend - Colonized societies are independent, but imperial attitudes remain
  • Paradox - Very aware of influences that cross borders on culture, but “nationalist dogma” persists
  • Cultures include more foreign influences than they exclude

Main Point: While nationalist dogma and imperial tendencies create images of national identities that are monolithic, the reality is that cultures include far more foreign influences than they exclude.

Lines 1-9 - A generalization/new view of history

Line 9 - An example is introduced

Line 22 - Another example is introduced (with a specific version of it starting in Line 35)

Lines 40-43 - Another set of examples introduced

Lines 53-62 - A paradox

Lines 62-65 - The Author wraps her argument up

Generalization/Examples - The passage begins with a Generalization (Lines 1-9). There, she states that studies have shown us that our biases shape how we view the past, and in particular how we construct national identities. She then hops into an example of how such biases have shaped the way that Greek civilization has been viewed by scholars. At this point, she could have easily shifted to another point, but instead she hops into another example in Paragraph 2, and similar constructions in Paragraph 3, backing up that this passage is meant to show examples backing up a generalization. When this Meta-Structure is present, the Generalization is the main point, and, here, Paragraph 4 clarifies what that generalization is. The Author concludes by stating that biases lead to “nationalist dogma” saying nations are unitary, monolithic, or autonomous, but cultures include more foreign influences than they exclude. Since this generalization is backed up by the examples the Author brings up throughout the passage, it’s the main point.

Resolving a Debate - The Author brings up two ways to view history - that of certain scholars and nationalists, who take a monolithic view of society; and to see the various influences that every culture has. She sides with the latter, which is reflected in our Generalization, above.

Paradox/Resolution - The Author brings up a paradox in Line 57. This paradox is that all nationally defined cultures (e.g., American) have a tendency to view themselves as monolithic, but we’re more aware than ever that this isn’t the case. This paradox very much lines up with the Resolving a Debate Meta-Structure, and the one side of the paradox lines up with the Author’s view that national cultures are an amalgamation of many influences, so this answer reinforces the prior Meta-Structures while also introducing new language we can see in big picture questions (“paradox,” “unexpected,” and other language that reflects this concept).

The general example/specific example pattern in Paragraphs 2 and 3 are pretty interesting, and it would be important to have a view on both the general and specific in order to find information needed for the questions, so you should have notes for both levels in each relevant paragraph.