问GWD16套阅读第一篇文章

   In a 1984 book, Claire C, Robertson arguedthat, before colonialism, age was a more important indicator of status andauthority than gender in Ghanaand in Africa generally. British colonialismimposed European- style male dominant notions upon more egalitarian local situationsto the detriment of women generally, and gender became a definingcharacteristic that weakened women’s power and authority.

    Subsequent research in Kenyaconvinced Robertson that she had overgeneralized about Africa.Before colonialism, gender was more salient in central Kenya than it was in Ghana,although age was still crucial in determining authority. In contrast withGhana, where women had traded for hundreds of years and achieved legal majority(not unrelated phenomena), the evidence regarding central Kenya indicated that womenwere legal minors and were sometimes treated as male property, as were Europeanwomen at that time. Factors like strong patrilinearity and patrilocality, aswell as women’s inferior land rights and lesser involvement in trade, made womenmore dependent on men than was generally the case in Ghana. However, since ageapparently remained the overriding principle of social organization in central Kenya, some seniorwomen had much authority. Thus, Robertson revised her hypothesis somewhat,arguing that in determining authority in precolonial Africaage was a primary principle that superseded gender to varying degrees dependingon the situation.

The passage indicates that Robertson’s research in Kenya causedher to change her mind regarding which of the following?   

A.   Whether age was the prevailing principle ofsocial organization in Kenyabefore colonialism

B.   Whether gender was the primary determinantof social authority in Africa generally beforecolonialism

C.   Whether it was only after colonialism thatgender became a significant determinant of authority in Kenyan society

D.   Whether age was a crucial factor determiningauthority in Africa after colonialism

E.    Whether British colonialism imposedEuropean-style male-dominant notions upon local situations in Ghana

The author of the passage mentions the status of age asa principle of social organization in precolonial central Kenya in lines24-26 most likely in order to

A.   indicate that women’s dependence on men inprecolonial Kenyawas not absolute

B.   contrast the situation of senior women tothat of less senior women in precolonial Kenyan society

C.   differentiate between the status andauthority of precolonial Kenyan women and that of precolonial Ghanaian women

D.   explain why age superseded gender to agreater extent in precolonial Kenyathan it did elsewhere in Africa

E.     identify afactor that led Robertson to revise her hypothesis about precolonial Africa