Entry Exam Category: College Admission Exams
Course: Accuplacer
Exam: Accuplacer Reading Sample Questions Practice Test
Practice Question
Extract
Read the passage(s) below and answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the passage(s) and in any introductory material that may be provided.
Passage
Because of the rooted Spanish aristocratic prejudice against commerce and manual labor, the work of painters in the colonies of New Spain was not highly valued in the 1600s. Painting was considered an artisan activity, more physical than intellectual, much like that of tailors or blacksmiths. The persistence of guilds (trade associations), also inherited from Spain and maintaining their vitality overseas, contributed decisively to keeping such feudal beliefs about painting in force. However, the guilds and the workshop system they fostered also set the stage for the development of distinctive works of art determined by local rather than European conditions and specific to the various communities of the Hispanic American world.
Adapted from Denver Art Museum, Painting a New World Mexican Art and Life, 1521-1821 02004 by Denver Art Museum
Passage
Because of the rooted Spanish aristocratic prejudice against commerce and manual labor, the work of painters in the colonies of New Spain was not highly valued in the 1600s. Painting was considered an artisan activity, more physical than intellectual, much like that of tailors or blacksmiths. The persistence of guilds (trade associations), also inherited from Spain and maintaining their vitality overseas, contributed decisively to keeping such feudal beliefs about painting in force. However, the guilds and the workshop system they fostered also set the stage for the development of distinctive works of art determined by local rather than European conditions and specific to the various communities of the Hispanic American world.
Adapted from Denver Art Museum, Painting a New World Mexican Art and Life, 1521-1821 02004 by Denver Art Museum
The primary purpose of the passage is to
Answer Choices
- A: trace the history of guilds in New Spain
- B: criticize the Spanish beliefs about manual labor
- C: describe some particular works of art created in New Spain in the 1600s
- D: describe the influence of Spanish attitudes and practices on the painting of New Spain
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The passage outlines how Spanish prejudices and guilds shaped painting in New Spain, making this the primary focus.