GMAT Reading Comprehension

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Source: OG10th

Level: 3

Schools expect textbooks to be a valuable source of information for students. My research suggests, however, that textbooks that address the place of Native Americans within the history of the United States distort history to suit a particular cultural value system. In some textbooks, for example, settlers are pictured as more humane, complex, skillful, and wise than Native American. In essence, textbooks stereotype and deprecate the numerous Native American cultures while reinforcing the attitude that the European conquest of the New World denotes the superiority of European cultures. Although textbooks evaluate Native American architecture, political systems, and homemaking, I contend that they do it from an ethnocentric, European perspective without recognizing that other perspectives are possible.

One argument against my contention asserts that, by nature, textbooks are culturally biased and that I am simply underestimating children's ability to see through these biases. Some researchers even claim that by the time students are in high school, they know they cannot take textbooks literally. Yet substantial evidence exists to the contrary. Two researchers, for example, have conducted studies that suggest that children's attitudes about particular culture are strongly influenced by the textbooks used in schools. Given this, an ongoing, careful review of how school textbooks depict Native American is certainly warranted.

Question List: 1 2 3 4 5 6

It can be inferred from the passage that the researchers mentioned in highlight text would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements?

  • A Students form attitudes about cultures other than their own primarily inside the school environment.
  • B For the most part, seniors in high school know that textbooks can be biased.
  • C Textbooks play a crucial role in shaping the attitudes and beliefs of students.
  • D Elementary school students are as likely to recognize biases in textbooks as are high school students.
  • E Students are less likely to give credence to history textbooks than to mathematics textbooks.

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