Q22

[liu.linda3]

Hi, can someone explain why the answer can't be A? Isn't that what the last paragraph talked about? Thanks!

[tommywallach]

Hey Liu,

This is a great question, because there's really only one sentence in the passage that relates to it. It comes right at the beginning of the passage: "Recently the focus of historical studies of different ethnic groups in the United States has shifted from the transformation of ethnic identity to its preservation." That's all we need to answer the question!

A) This answer choice says that the two types of studies are similar, but all we know about them is they are different. Either way, it is the more recent studies that discusses "preserving ethnic community," not the earlier studies.

B) The author claims that the factors aren't clear enough, complaining in the last sentence that "historians should attempt to identify the factors..."

C) The first sentence says the focus is on how ethnic groups preserve themselves. This was more the earlier studies.

D) This matches with what the first sentence tells us. Perfect!

E) Earlier studies focused on what happened after they got to America, not why they moved in the first place.

Let me know if you have any follow-up questions!

-t

[Yu440]

Hi, can someone explain why the answer can't be A? Isn't that what the last paragraph talked about? Thanks!

I was tempted by answer choice A as well. But I believe it's wrong because in the last paragraph, the author never stated that the historians who have studied European ethnic cultures in the US were from the past or present. Therefore it is equally plausible that these historians belong to the recent bunch.