DISCUSSION: The purpose of the passage is to describe the power held by medieval widows.
All the wrong answers refer to things that don’t exist in the passage. I’m not trying to be flippant by asking questions such as “Which legal controversy?”
These are highly useful questions. If you can’t answer them, then the answer choice is probably wrong.
Practice asking yourself these questions before picking any answer that refers to something specific.
___________
- Which legal controversy in the past? None are mentioned.
- CORRECT. Specifically, the passage evaluates the wealth and power of widows in thirteenth century England. Turns out that they could be reasonably powerful.
- There’s no scholarly debate mentioned. The medievalists were certain that their distinction was correct.
To resolve a debate, the author would have had to enter into a dispute between two parties.
- Which modern economic situation? The author only talks about widows in the thirteenth century.
- Which historical events? There are no events mentioned in the passage. There are dates and documents mentioned, but no events.
See the discussion for question nine if you’d like examples of the distinction between dates and events.
Want a free Reading Comp lesson?
Get a free sample of the Reading Comprehension Mastery Seminar. Learn tips for solving RC questions
Leave a Reply