When I did this passage, I had trouble deciding between A and E. I was hesitant to pick A because it didn't include anything about cotton. The cultivation of rice was so intriguing because it was done in an economy dedicated to maximizing cotton. Specifically lines 18-21 was what made me want to choose E instead of A. The author expressly states that the heart of Vernon's research was why they grew rice in an economy devoted to cotton production.
Could someone explain why we should choose A and not E? Thanks!
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Re: Q22
Thanks for posting!
I agree that the cotton economy is important in this passage, but I don't agree that cotton needs to be in the answer to this synthesis question. What really needs to be there is something about African Americans introducing the cultivation of rice. The author makes it pretty clear in the first paragraph that that's what the focus is. The cotton thing is an issue that comes up in trying to explain why African Americans cultivated rice, but it's not the essential issue; it's intriguing not because of cotton, but "because the introduction of rice into what is now the United States had previously been attributed to French Acadians, who did not arrive until the 1760s."
Anyway, (A) does indirectly reference the whole cotton-economy part of the passage by including the phrase "and Its Continued Practice in the Years During and After Slavery." The discussion of its continued practice during and after slavery is precisely the discussion of why they'd grow rice in a predominately cotton-based economy.
(E), on the other hand, is way too narrow in scope because only one part of the passage, the post-slavery part, is specifically about tenant farmers. This answer choice totally ignores 1) the introduction of rice, and 2) its cultivation during slavery. Too narrow.
(B) limits the time scope more than the passage does, and the passage isn't about the economic impact of rice.
(C) too narrow in the same way as (E).
(D) is out of scope. The passage is about the contribution of rice, not about political and cultural contributions.
Does that answer your question?
I agree that the cotton economy is important in this passage, but I don't agree that cotton needs to be in the answer to this synthesis question. What really needs to be there is something about African Americans introducing the cultivation of rice. The author makes it pretty clear in the first paragraph that that's what the focus is. The cotton thing is an issue that comes up in trying to explain why African Americans cultivated rice, but it's not the essential issue; it's intriguing not because of cotton, but "because the introduction of rice into what is now the United States had previously been attributed to French Acadians, who did not arrive until the 1760s."
Anyway, (A) does indirectly reference the whole cotton-economy part of the passage by including the phrase "and Its Continued Practice in the Years During and After Slavery." The discussion of its continued practice during and after slavery is precisely the discussion of why they'd grow rice in a predominately cotton-based economy.
(E), on the other hand, is way too narrow in scope because only one part of the passage, the post-slavery part, is specifically about tenant farmers. This answer choice totally ignores 1) the introduction of rice, and 2) its cultivation during slavery. Too narrow.
(B) limits the time scope more than the passage does, and the passage isn't about the economic impact of rice.
(C) too narrow in the same way as (E).
(D) is out of scope. The passage is about the contribution of rice, not about political and cultural contributions.
Does that answer your question?
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Re: Q22
Yes, I see why E is too narrow now. Thanks!
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