Entry Exam Category: College Admission Exams
Course: Accuplacer
Exam: Accuplacer Reading Full-Length Practice Test

Practice Question

Extract

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.
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 discusses how Spanish aristocratic prejudice and guild traditions shaped the perception and practice of painting in New Spain. While it does mention guilds, specific artworks, and prejudice, the main goal is to explain how Spanish beliefs and institutional structures (like guilds) influenced artistic life in the colonies—making D the most comprehensive and accurate summary of the passage’s primary purpose.

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