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Passage E：Polygamy
Polygamy in Africa has been a popular topic for social research over the past four decades; it has been analyzed by many distinguished minds and in various well-publicized works. In 1961, when Remi Clignet published his book "Many Wives, Many Powers," he was not alone in sharing the view that in Africa co-wives may be perceived as direct and indirect sources of increased income and prestige.
By the 1970s, such arguments had become crystallized and popular. Many other African scholars who wrote on the subject became the new champions of this philosophy. For example, in 1983, John Mbiti proclaimed that polygamy is an accepted and respectable institution serving many useful social purposes. Similarly, G.K. Nukunya, in his paper "Polygamy as a Symbol of Status," reiterated Mbiti's idea that a plurality of wives is a sign of affluence and power in the African society.
However, the colonial missionary voice provided consistent opposition to polygamy by viewing the practice as unethical and destructive of family life. While they propagated this view with the authority of the Bible, they were convinced that Africans had to be coerced into partaking in the vision of monogamy understood by the Western culture. The missionary viewpoint even included, in some instances, dictating immediate divorce in the case of newly converted men who had already contracted polygamous marriages. Unfortunately, both the missionary voice and the scholarly voice did not consider the views of African women on the matter important. Although there was some awareness that women regarded polygamy as both a curse and a blessing, the distanced, albeit scientific, perspective of an outside observer predominated both on the pulpit and in scholarly writings.
Contemporary research in the social sciences has begun to focus on the protagonist's voice in the study of culture, recognizing that the views and experiences of those who take part in a given reality ought to receive close examination. This privileging of the protagonist seems appropriate, particularly given that women in Africa have often used literary productions to comment on marriage, family and gender relations.
生疏单词：
Polygamy:一夫多妻，多配偶
be perceived as：被认为是，被视为
prestige：威望，声誉
crystallized：蜜饯的，结晶，成型
philosophy：哲学，人生观
institution：制度，机构，建立
missionary：传教士，传教的
propagate：传播，繁殖
coerced：强制，胁迫
monogamy：一夫一妻制
curse：诅咒，咒骂
albeit：虽然，即使
protagonist：主角，主演
长难句分析：
In 1961, when Remi Clignet published his book "Many Wives, Many Powers," he was not alone in sharing the view that in Africa co-wives may be perceived as direct and indirect sources of increased income and prestige.
本句的主体结构Remi Clignet was not alone in sharing the view，when引导时间状语从句，that引导宾语从句对the view进行解释说明，整体结构不算很复杂。
话题分类：社会科学
文章展开套路：比较分析型
作者态度：客观评价
文章脉络：
第一段：一夫多妻制在过去四十年的非洲社会研究方面一直是一个热门话题。
第二段：到20世纪70年代,这样的争论已经成为流行话题，许多对这一话题进行创作的学者成了哲学的新领军人物。
第三段：然而,殖民地的传教士一致反对，认为这种做法对家庭生活是不道德的和具有破坏性的。
第四段：当代社会科学研究在文化的研究方面已经开始专注于主人公的声音,认识到那些既定的观点和经验应该得到仔细检查。更多相关内容请点击》两大普世性GMAT阅读法介绍。
答案：1-5: E D C B A
习题解析：
1. Which of the following best describes the main purpose of the passage above?
(A) to discuss scholarly works that view polygamy as a sign of prestige, respect, and affluence in the African society
(B) to trace the origins of the missionary opposition to African polygamy
(C) to argue for imposing restrictions on polygamy in the African society
(D) to explore the reasons for womens acceptance of polygamy
(E) to discuss multiple perspectives on African polygamy and contrast them with contemporary research
选项说明：
(A) 学术作品中对一夫多妻制的讨论仅限于第一段，作为文章的写作目的太过片面。
(B) 文中没有提到对于传教士反对一夫多妻制起源的追究。
(C) 文中从多角度对一夫多妻制进行了探讨，赞成或反对在文中都有提到。
(D) 文中没有提及女性接受一夫多妻制的原因，只提到了她们认为这既是诅咒又是祝福。
(E) 正确，文章多角度地讨论了非洲一夫多妻制，并与当代研究进行了对比。
2. The third paragraph of the passage plays which of the following roles?
(A) discusses the rationale for viewing polygamy as an indication of prestige and affluence in the African society
(B) supports the author’s view that polygamy is unethical and destructive of family life
(C) contrasts the views of the colonial missionary with the position of the most recent contemporary research
(D) describes the views on polygamy held by the colonial missionary and indicates a flaw in
this vision
(E) demonstrates that the colonial missionary was ignorant of the scholarly research on monogamy
选项说明：
(A) 对非洲一夫多妻制在社会名望地位的讨论仅限于第一第二段。
(B) 第三段讨论了殖民地传教士的观点，但没有提及作者的观点。
(C) 第三段讨论了殖民地传教士的观点，与当代研究的对比只在第四段中有提到。
(D) 正确，描述了传教士的观点，并指出其中存在的缺陷。
(E) 第三段只是讨论了传教士的观点，没有提到其对学术研究的态度。
3. The passage provides each of the following, EXCEPT
(A) the year of publication of Remi Clignet’s book “Many Wives, Many Powers”
(B) the year in which John Mbiti made a claim that polygamy is an accepted institution
(C) examples of African womens literary productions devoted to family relations
(D) reasons for missionary opposition to polygamy
(E) current research perspectives on polygamy
选项说明：
(A) 第二段Remi Clignet published his book “Many Wives, Many Powers” in 1961.
(B) 第二段第二句John Mbiti proclaimed that polygamy is an accepted and respectable institution in 1983.
(C) 正确，第三段提到mentions that women in Africa have often used literary productions to comment on marriage，但没有提到具体的例子。
(D) 第三段提到，传教士认为一夫多妻是不道德的，对家庭生活具有破坏性。
(E) 最后一段提供了当代对于一夫多妻制研究的详细描述。
4. According to the passage, the colonial missionary and the early scholarly research shared which of the following traits in their views on polygamy?
(A) both considered polygamy a sign of social status and success
(B) neither accounted for the views of local women
(C) both attempted to limit the prevalence of polygamy
(D) both pointed out polygamy’s destructive effects on family life
(E) both exhibited a somewhat negative attitude towards polygamy
选项说明：
(A) 传教士不认为一夫多妻制是社会地位和成功与否的标志。
(B) 二者都没有考虑到当地女性的看法。
(C) 第三段中传教士试图通过分享一夫一妻制来限制一夫多妻制，但并没提到学者。
(D) 只有传教士认为一夫多妻地不道德的，对家庭生活具有破坏性。
(E) 传教士的消极态度体现在认为一夫多妻不道德和具有破坏性，但没有提到早期学者的消极观点。
5. Which of the following statements can most properly be inferred from the passage?
(A) Nukunya’s paper “Polygamy as a Symbol of Status” was not written in 1981.
(B) John Mbiti adjusted his initial view on polygamy, recognizing that the experiences of
African women should receive closer attention.
(C) Remi Clignets book “Many Wives, Many Powers” was the first well-known scholarly
work to proclaim that polygamy can be viewed as a symbol of prestige and wealth.
(D) Under the influence of the missionary opposition, polygamy was proclaimed illegal in
Africa as a practice “unethical and destructive of family life.”
(E) A large proportion of the scholars writing on polygamy in the 1970s and 1980s were of
African descent.
选项说明：
(A) 正确，第二段说Nukunyas work “Polygamy as a Symbol of Status” reiterated Mbiti s idea that that plurality o f wives is a sign o f affluence and power....而Mbiti直到1983年才公开这一观点。
(B) 文中说现代研究承认非洲女性的观点应该被考虑，没有提到Mbiti改变最初的观点。
(C) 文章中提到when Remi Clignet published his book “Many Wives, Many Powers, ” he was not alone in sharing the view. ..,意味着Remi Clignet他书里的观点不是第一次被提出的。
(D) 文中没有提到一夫多妻制被认为是不合法的。
(E) 没中没有提到早期研究一夫多妻制的学者是哪国血统。
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