Q19

[azhang279]

I do not understand why choice A is correct since it seems to go against all strategies for RC. "Social upheaval" was never mentioned as a cause of the war and famine. I suppose one can assume that it was a cause of the war, however the question is about what the authors specifically asserts, which should be mentioned in the passage.

Thank you in advance!

[demetri.blaisdell]

Thanks for posting, azhang279. You are right that you have stay close to the text on RC passages. But take a closer look at (A).

It doesn't say that the upheaval caused the war/famine. Actually, it says the opposite: the war caused upheaval. We know these years were "calamitous," there was a "famine," Paris was "threatened with a siege," and the French army was "defeated" (big shocker there). I think that's enough to describe this period as one of social upheaval. Of course, another reason to choose (A) is that none of the other answer choices mention war or other strife.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

Demetri