Carcass wrote:
While the best sixteenth-century Renaissance scholars mastered the classics of ancient Roman literature in the original Latin and understood them in their original historical context, most of the scholars’ educated contemporaries knew the classics only from school lessons on selected Latin texts. These were chosen by Renaissance teachers after much deliberation, for works written by and for the sophisticated adults of pagan Rome were not always considered suitable for the Renaissance young: the central Roman classics refused (as classics often do) to teach appropriate morality and frequently suggested the opposite. Teachers accordingly made students’ needs, not textual and historical accuracy, their supreme interest, chopping dangerous texts into short phrases, and using these to impart lessons extemporaneously on a variety of subjects, from syntax to science. Thus, I believe that a modern reader cannot know the associations that a line of ancient Roman poetry or prose had for any particular educated sixteenth-century reader.
The passage is primarily concerned with discussing the
A) unsuitability of the Roman classics for the teaching of morality
B) approach that sixteenth-century scholars took to learning the Roman classics
C) effect that the Roman classics had on educated people in the Renaissance
D) way in which the Roman classics were taught in the sixteenth century
E) contrast between the teaching of the Roman classics in the Renaissance and the teaching of the Roman classics today
The information in the passage suggests that which of the following would most likely result from a student’s having studied the Roman classics under a typical sixteenth-century teacher?
A) The student recalls a line of Roman poetry in conjunction with a point learned about grammar.
B) The student argues that a Roman poem about gluttony is not morally offensive when it is understood in its historical context.
C) The student is easily able to express thoughts in Latin.
D) The student has mastered large portions of the Roman classics.
E) The student has a sophisticated knowledge of Roman poetry but little knowledge of Roman prose.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the assertion made in the passage concerning what a modern reader cannot know?
A) Some modern readers are thoroughly familiar with the classics of ancient Roman literature because they majored in classics in college or obtained doctoral degrees in classics.
B) Some modern readers have learned which particular works of Roman literature were taught to students in the sixteenth century.
C) Modern readers can, with some effort, discover that sixteenth-century teachers selected some seemingly dangerous classical texts while excluding other seemingly innocuous texts.
D) Copies of many of the classical texts used by sixteenth-century teachers, including marginal notes describing the oral lessons that were based on the texts, can be found in museums today.
E) Many of the writings of the best sixteenth-century Renaissance scholars have been translated from Latin and are available to modern readers.
BRIEF PARAGRAPH SUMMARY:
16th century teachers used carefully-selected text to teach classics.
TWO POINTS OF VIEW:
Renaissance scholars knew the context of Roman classics, but Renaissance students didn't.
MAIN IDEA (purpose of the passage):
Explain how and why teachers taught Roman Classics in 16th Century.
1. The passage is primarily concerned with discussing theA) unsuitability of the Roman classics for the teaching of morality
This is not the main point of the passage. ELIMINATE
B) approach that sixteenth-century scholars took to learning the Roman classics
This is not the main point of the passage. ELIMINATE
C) effect that the Roman classics had on educated people in the Renaissance
There's nothing in the passage about the EFFECT on educated people. ELIMINATE
D) way in which the Roman classics were taught in the sixteenth century
Looks good - KEEP
E) contrast between the teaching of the Roman classics in the Renaissance and the teaching of the Roman classics today
There's nothing in the passage about teaching the Roman classics today. ELIMINATE
Best answer: D
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2. The information in the passage suggests that which of the following would most likely result from a student’s having studied the Roman classics under a typical sixteenth-century teacher?A) The student recalls a line of Roman poetry in conjunction with a point learned about grammar.
This is supported in the following: Teachers accordingly made students’ needs. . . chopping dangerous texts into short phrases, and using these to impart lessons extemporaneously on a variety of subjects, from
syntax to science. KEEP
B) The student argues that a Roman poem about gluttony is not morally offensive when it is understood in its historical context.
Given the practice of 16th Century teachers, the students probably wouldn't get to read passages about gluttony. ELIMINATE
C) The student is easily able to express thoughts in Latin.
There's nothing to suggest an EASE of expressing thoughts in Latin. ELIMINATE
D) The student has mastered large portions of the Roman classics.
This is unlikely, since students only say small snippets of the Roman classics. ELIMINATE
E) The student has a sophisticated knowledge of Roman poetry but little knowledge of Roman prose.
This is unlikely, since students only say small snippets of the Roman classics. ELIMINATE
Best answer: A
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3. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the assertion made in the passage concerning what a modern reader cannot know?The passage states:
a modern reader cannot know how educated sixteenth-century readers would have experienced the classicsKeep in mind that sixteenth-century students experienced the classics via carefully-selected snippets.
A) Some modern readers are thoroughly familiar with the classics of ancient Roman literature because they majored in classics in college or obtained doctoral degrees in classics.
Does this weaken the assertion that
modern readers cannot know how educated sixteenth-century readers would have experienced the classics? All this answer choice says is that some modern readers are familiar with the classics. ELIMINATE
B) Some modern readers have learned which particular works of Roman literature were taught to students in the sixteenth century.
Does this weaken the assertion that
modern readers cannot know how educated sixteenth-century readers would have experienced the classics? No, it only tells us WHICH works were taught back then. ELIMINATE
C) Modern readers can, with some effort, discover that sixteenth-century teachers selected some seemingly dangerous classical texts while excluding other seemingly innocuous texts.
Does this weaken the assertion that
modern readers cannot know how educated sixteenth-century readers would have experienced the classics? No. ELIMINATE
D) Copies of many of the classical texts used by sixteenth-century teachers, including marginal notes describing the oral lessons that were based on the texts, can be found in museums today.
Does this weaken the assertion that
modern readers cannot know how educated sixteenth-century readers would have experienced the classics? YES! This answer choice suggest that modern readers CAN (via these notes) know how educated sixteenth-century readers would have experienced the classics. KEEP
E) Many of the writings of the best sixteenth-century Renaissance scholars have been translated from Latin and are available to modern readers.
Does this weaken the assertion that
modern readers cannot know how educated sixteenth-century readers would have experienced the classics? No. This doesn't help modern readers know HOW 16th century readers were taught. ELIMINATE
Best answer: D
Cheers
Brent
15 Sep 2016, 06:05
42% (02:06) correct
