Comprehension
Direction for Reading Comprehension: The passages given here are followed by some questions that have four answer choices; read the passage carefully and pick the option whose answer best aligns with the passage
Mode of transportation affects the travel experience and thus can produce new types of travel writing and perhaps even new “identities.” Modes of transportation determine the types and duration of social encounters; affect the organization and passage of space and time; . . . and also affect perception and knowledge—how and what the traveler comes to know and write about. The completion of the first U.S. transcontinental highway during the 1920s . . . for example, inaugurated a new genre of travel literature about the United States—the automotive or road narrative. Such narratives highlight the experiences of mostly male protagonists “discovering themselves” on their journeys, emphasizing the independence of road travel and the value of rural folk traditions.
Travel writing’s relationship to empire building— as a type of “colonialist discourse”—has drawn the most attention from academicians. Close connections have been observed between European (and American) political, economic, and administrative goals for the colonies and their manifestations in the cultural practice of writing travel books. Travel writers’ descriptions of foreign places have been analysed as attempts to validate, promote, or challenge the ideologies and practices of colonial or imperial domination and expansion. Mary Louise Pratt’s study of the genres and conventions of 18th- and 19th-century exploration narratives about South America and Africa (e.g., the “monarch of all I survey” trope) offered ways of thinking about travel writing as embedded within relations of power between metropole and periphery, as did Edward Said’s theories of representation and cultural imperialism. Particularly Said’s book, Orientalism, helped scholars understand ways in which representations of people in travel texts were intimately bound up with notions of self, in this case, that the Occident defined itself through essentialist, ethnocentric, and racist representations of the Orient. Said’s work became a model for demonstrating cultural forms of imperialism in travel texts, showing how the political, economic, or administrative fact of dominance relies on legitimating discourses such as those articulated through travel writing. . . .
Feminist geographers’ studies of travel writing challenge the masculinist history of geography by questioning who and what are relevant subjects of geographic study and, indeed, what counts as geographic knowledge itself. Such questions are worked through ideological constructs that posit men as explorers and women as travelers—or, conversely, men as travelers and women as tied to the home. Studies of Victorian women who were professional travel writers, tourists, wives of colonial administrators, and other (mostly) elite women who wrote narratives about their experiences abroad during the 19th century have been particularly revealing. From a “liberal” feminist perspective, travel presented one means toward female liberation for middle- and upper-class Victorian women. Many studies from the 1970s onward demonstrated the ways in which women’s gendered identities were negotiated differently “at home” than they were “away,” thereby showing women’s selfdevelopment through travel. The more recent poststructural turn in studies of Victorian travel writing has focused attention on women’s diverse and fragmented identities as they narrated their travel experiences, emphasizing women’s sense of themselves as women in new locations, but only as they worked through their ties to nation, class, whiteness, and colonial and imperial power structures.
Mode of transportation affects the travel experience and thus can produce new types of travel writing and perhaps even new “identities.” Modes of transportation determine the types and duration of social encounters; affect the organization and passage of space and time; . . . and also affect perception and knowledge—how and what the traveler comes to know and write about. The completion of the first U.S. transcontinental highway during the 1920s . . . for example, inaugurated a new genre of travel literature about the United States—the automotive or road narrative. Such narratives highlight the experiences of mostly male protagonists “discovering themselves” on their journeys, emphasizing the independence of road travel and the value of rural folk traditions.
Travel writing’s relationship to empire building— as a type of “colonialist discourse”—has drawn the most attention from academicians. Close connections have been observed between European (and American) political, economic, and administrative goals for the colonies and their manifestations in the cultural practice of writing travel books. Travel writers’ descriptions of foreign places have been analysed as attempts to validate, promote, or challenge the ideologies and practices of colonial or imperial domination and expansion. Mary Louise Pratt’s study of the genres and conventions of 18th- and 19th-century exploration narratives about South America and Africa (e.g., the “monarch of all I survey” trope) offered ways of thinking about travel writing as embedded within relations of power between metropole and periphery, as did Edward Said’s theories of representation and cultural imperialism. Particularly Said’s book, Orientalism, helped scholars understand ways in which representations of people in travel texts were intimately bound up with notions of self, in this case, that the Occident defined itself through essentialist, ethnocentric, and racist representations of the Orient. Said’s work became a model for demonstrating cultural forms of imperialism in travel texts, showing how the political, economic, or administrative fact of dominance relies on legitimating discourses such as those articulated through travel writing. . . .
Feminist geographers’ studies of travel writing challenge the masculinist history of geography by questioning who and what are relevant subjects of geographic study and, indeed, what counts as geographic knowledge itself. Such questions are worked through ideological constructs that posit men as explorers and women as travelers—or, conversely, men as travelers and women as tied to the home. Studies of Victorian women who were professional travel writers, tourists, wives of colonial administrators, and other (mostly) elite women who wrote narratives about their experiences abroad during the 19th century have been particularly revealing. From a “liberal” feminist perspective, travel presented one means toward female liberation for middle- and upper-class Victorian women. Many studies from the 1970s onward demonstrated the ways in which women’s gendered identities were negotiated differently “at home” than they were “away,” thereby showing women’s selfdevelopment through travel. The more recent poststructural turn in studies of Victorian travel writing has focused attention on women’s diverse and fragmented identities as they narrated their travel experiences, emphasizing women’s sense of themselves as women in new locations, but only as they worked through their ties to nation, class, whiteness, and colonial and imperial power structures.
Question: 1
According to the passage, Said’s book, “Orientalism”:
According to the passage, Said’s book, “Orientalism”:
Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
- illustrated how narrow minded and racist westerners were.
- demonstrated how cultural imperialism was used to justify colonial domination.
- explained the difference between the representation of people and the actual fact.
- argued that cultural imperialism was more significant than colonial domination.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
In addressing the question regarding Said’s book, "Orientalism" within the provided passage context, we must understand the core focus of his work. The central theme of "Orientalism" is not simply to highlight narrow-mindedness or the potential racism of Western perspectives, although these may be components. The primary emphasis here is on cultural imperialism. Said elucidates how these cultural narratives and representations serve as mechanisms for justifying and perpetuating colonial domination.
Therefore, according to the passage, the most appropriate description of Said's book, "Orientalism," aligns with his demonstration of the interplay between cultural imperialism and colonial advocacy. This cultural narrative supports political and economic domination by shaping perceptions and legitimizing imperial control. Thus, the correct option is: demonstrated how cultural imperialism was used to justify colonial domination.
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Question: 2
From the passage, it can be inferred that scholars argue that Victorian women experienced self-development through their travels because:
From the passage, it can be inferred that scholars argue that Victorian women experienced self-development through their travels because:
Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
- their identity was redefined when they were away from home.
- they were from the progressive middle- and upper-classes of society.
- they were on a quest to discover their diverse identities.
- they developed a feminist perspective of the world.
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Based on the passage, the inference that Victorian women experienced self-development through their travels because their identity was redefined when they were away from home is supported by the following points:
- During the era, the roles for women were largely conventional with societal expectations tied to domestic responsibilities. Travel provided these women with an opportunity to step outside those constraints and explore their identities in novel settings.
- The passage discusses how travel experiences allowed for different negotiations of gender identities comparing "at home" versus "away" contexts. This implies that travel enabled Victorian women to redefine themselves, shedding light on new facets of identity otherwise constrained by traditional roles.
- The discussion of feminist geographers illustrates how traditional gender roles were questioned, providing women with liberation from the domestic space, thus fostering a self-development process through new observations and experiences during their travels.
- The mention of a poststructural turn in Victorian travel writing studies emphasizes the fragmented and diverse identities women constructed while traveling, reinforcing that identity redefinition was a crucial element of their experiences.
Hence, the inference that Victorian women redefined their identity while away from home aligns with the scholarly arguments indicated in the passage and is the correct answer choice.
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Question: 3
American travel literature of the 1920s:
American travel literature of the 1920s:
Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
- developed the male protagonists’ desire for independence.
- presented travellers’ discovery of their identity as different from others.
- celebrated the freedom that travel gives.
- showed participation in local traditions.
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The correct answer to the question is that the American travel literature of the 1920s celebrated the freedom that travel gives. This is evident from the comprehension passage, which discusses the emergence of the automotive or road narrative, a new genre of travel literature that highlighted the experiences of mostly male protagonists discovering themselves on their journeys, emphasizing the independence of road travel.
Breaking down the comprehension passage reveals several key points:
- Mode of transportation impacts travel experiences, influencing the types and nature of social encounters and the organization of space and time.
- The completion of the U.S. transcontinental highway led to a new genre of travel writing focusing on road narratives.
- This genre underscored the experiences of male protagonists exploring their independence and the freedoms afforded by road travel.
Therefore, the primary theme concerning American travel literature in the 1920s was the celebration of travel freedoms, matching the correct answer option.
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Question: 4
From the passage, we can infer that feminist scholars’ understanding of the experiences of Victorian women travellers is influenced by all of the following EXCEPT scholars':
From the passage, we can infer that feminist scholars’ understanding of the experiences of Victorian women travellers is influenced by all of the following EXCEPT scholars':
Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
- perspective that they bring to their research.
- knowledge of class tensions in Victorian society.
- awareness of gender issues in Victorian society.
- awareness of the ways in which identity is formed.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
To solve the question of which factor does not influence feminist scholars' understanding of the experiences of Victorian women travelers, we must analyze the contextual information from the provided passage. The passage mentions several themes that feminist scholars consider:
- They examine gender issues, questioning conventional assignments of roles like explorers for men and travelers for women.
- They focus on identity construction, particularly highlighting the negotiation of women's gendered identities in different settings and locations.
- The text describes the ways representations in travel writing are influenced by notions of power structures (e.g., nation, class, race), indicating the awareness of identity formation.
However, the passage does not discuss the influence of class tensions within Victorian society as a distinct or major theme considered by feminist scholars in this context. Instead, it refers to broader power dynamics related to colonial and imperial power structures. Therefore, the option not influencing feminist scholars' understanding according to the passage is:
knowledge of class tensions in Victorian society.
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Question: 5
From the passage, we can infer that travel writing is most similar to:
From the passage, we can infer that travel writing is most similar to:
Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
- feminist writing.
- historical fiction.
- political journalism.
- autobiographical writing.
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The question asks us to infer which type of writing travel writing is most similar to from the passage. Let's examine the passage to find clues:
The passage discusses travel writing's link to self-discovery and identity formation. Travel narratives, especially road narratives from the automotive era, emphasize protagonists "discovering themselves" during their journeys. This indicates that travel writing often deals with a person's personal experiences and reflections on their identity.
In addition, the passage mentions cultural imperialism and social identities. It highlights how travel writing involves self-perception and representation. These aspects of personal insight and identity reflection are similar to autobiographical writing, where the author's life and self-exploration are central themes.
Given these points, the passage implies that travel writing shares thematic similarities with autobiographical writing, as both focus on self-discovery and identity. Thus, the correct answer is autobiographical writing.
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