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Passage 57

   In recent years, teachers of introductory courses in

   Asian American studies have been facing a dilemma

   nonexistent a few decades ago, when hardly any texts

   in that field were available. Today, excellent antho-

(5) logies and other introductory texts exist, and books on

   individual Asian American nationality groups and on       

   general issues important for Asian Americans are

   published almost weekly. Even professors who are

   experts in the field find it difficult to decide which of

(10) these to assign to students; nonexperts who teach in

   related areas and are looking for writings for and by

   Asian American to include in survey courses are in an

   even worse position.

  A complicating factor has been the continuing lack

(15) of specialized one-volume reference works on Asian

   Americans, such as biographical dictionaries or desktop

   encyclopedias. Such works would enable students

   taking Asian American studies courses (and professors

   in related fields) to look up basic information on Asian

(20) American individuals, institutions, history, and culture

   without having to wade through mountains of primary

   source material. In addition, give such works, Asian

   American studies professors might feel more free to          

   include more challenging Asian American material in

(25) their introductory reading lists, since good reference

   works allow students to acquire on their own the back-

ground information necessary to interpret difficult or

unfamiliar material.

 

1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with

     doing which of the following?

  (A) Recommending a methodology

  (B) Describing a course of study

  (C) Discussing a problem

  (D) Evaluating a past course of action

  (E) Responding to a criticism

 

2. The "dilemma" mentioned in line 2 can best be

  characterized as being caused by the necessity to make a

  choice when faced with a

  (A) lack of acceptable alternatives

  (B) lack of strict standards for evaluating alternatives

  (C) preponderance of bad alternatives as compared to

     good

  (D) multitude of different alternatives

  (E) large number of alternatives that are nearly identical

     in content

 

3. The passage suggests that the factor mentioned in lines

  14-17 complicates professors' attempts to construct

  introductory reading lists for courses in Asian American

  studies in which of the following ways?

  (A) By making it difficult for professors to identify

     primary source material and to obtain standard

     information on Asian American history and culture

  (B) By preventing professors from identifying excellent

     anthologies and introductory texts in the field that

     are both recent and understandable to students

  (C) By preventing professors from adequately

     evaluating the quality of the numerous texts

     currently being published in the field

  (D) Such courses were offered only at schools whose

     libraries were rich in primary sources.

  (E) By making it more necessary for professors to select

     readings for their courses that are not too

     challenging for students unfamiliar with Asian

     American history

     and culture

  (E) By making it more likely that the readings

     professors assign to students in their courses will be

     drawn solely from primary sources

 

4. The passage implies that which of the following was

  true of introductory courses in Asian American studies a

  few decades ago?

  (A) The range of different textbooks that could be

     assigned for such courses was extremely limited.

  (B) The texts assigned as readings in such courses were

     often not very challenging for students.

  (C) Students often complained about the texts assigned

     to them in such courses.

  (D) Such courses were the only means then available by 

     which people in the United States could acquire

     knowledge of the field.

 

5. According to the passage, the existence of good one-

  volume reference works about Asian Americans could

  result in

  (A) increased agreement among professors of Asian

     American studies regarding the quality of the

     sources available in their field

  (B) an increase in the number of students signing up for

     introductory courses in Asian American studies

  (C) increased accuracy in writings that concern Asian

     American history and culture

  (D) the use of introductory texts about Asian American

     history and culture in courses outside the field of

     Asian American studies

  (E) the inclusion of a wider range of Asian American

     material in introductory reading lists in Asian

     American studies

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