PrepTest 117, Section 1, Question 13
In the field of historiography—the writing of history(454 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- AMost Chinese settlers(20 more words not shown)
- BChinese agricultural methods(9 more words not shown)
- CSettlers of European(8 more words not shown)
- DBecause of the(16 more words not shown)
- EWhat written records(13 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
This is an open inference question. We know what the settlers contributed and why their actions matter as evidence. We aren't given every detail about why they immigrated or what happened to every document they left, so those claims would need their own support.
Working the answers
- A
We aren't told why most Chinese settlers immigrated. Knowing that they found agricultural opportunities after arriving doesn't establish that a familiar climate brought them there.
- BCorrect
The final paragraph identifies their expertise in reclaiming swamps and managing irrigation (paragraph 4). Those nineteenth-century settlers were applying that knowledge to agriculture. B follows directly from the skills described.
- C
This switches the groups. The Chinese settlers saw spice potential in wild mustard; the other settlers generally saw a nuisance.
- D
Having written records doesn't establish that examining actions is worthless. The writer's argument favors a broader record of experience and never exempts European settlers from it.
- E
A shortage of written records isn't evidence that existing documents were neglected and lost. The stated explanation is that most Asian settlers didn't focus on creating systematic written accounts.
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