Free Practice Question
RC · Reading Comprehension
sub-505
Short Passage - Science
Reading Passage
Scholars often fail to see that music played an important role in the preservation of African culture in the United States. They correctly note that slavery stripped some cultural elements from Black people—their political and economic systems—but they underestimate the significance of music in sustaining other African cultural values. African music, unlike the music of some other cultures, was based on a total vision of life in which music was not an isolated social domain. In African culture music was pervasive, serving not only religion, but all phases of life, including birth, death, work, and play. The methods that a community devises to perpetuate itself come into being to preserve aspects of the cultural legacy that that community perceives as essential. Music, like art in general, was so inextricably a part of African culture that it became a crucial means of preserving the culture during and after the dislocations of slavery.
Which of the following statements concerning the function of African music can be inferred from the passage?
Answer Choices
Correct answer marked belowIt preserved cultural values because it was thoroughly integrated into the lives of the people.
Correct
B
It was more important in the development of African religious life than in other areas of culture.
C
It was developed in response to the loss of political and economic systems.
D
Its pervasiveness in African culture hindered its effectiveness in minimizing the impact of slavery.
E
Its isolation from the economic domains of life enabled it to survive the destructive impact of slavery.
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What it tests
Your ability to understand a passage, its structure, and what the author is really saying. At the sub-505 level, accuracy and speed both matter.
Common trap
Answering from memory or outside knowledge instead of strictly from the passage.
Details
Difficulty
sub-505
Type
RC
Category