The reading passage " New Ways of Looking at History " (often featured in high-level English proficiency exams like C2 Proficiency or IELTS) explores how modern historians attempt to bridge the "remoteness" of the past to make it accessible for contemporary audiences. Answer Key and Explanations
Based on common versions of this reading passage, here are the likely answers and the reasoning behind them:
The quoted opening line of The Go-Between ("The past is a foreign country...") serves as:
Correct Answer: A figurative barrier separating the past and the present.
Explanation: The phrase emphasizes the "gulf" or "remoteness" between bygone eras and today, making the past both alluring and incomprehensible. ❌ It does not account for readers' unfamiliarity with the novel itself, but rather illustrates a concept about time.
According to the passage, what has become more urgent recently?
Correct Answer: The matter of "enlivening history" for laypeople. New Ways Of Looking At History Reading Answers
Explanation: Amidst a mass of popular historical non-fiction, historians are scrambling for new ways to make yesterday's events relatable to today's audiences.
The writer suggests that Ian Mortimer's approach (writing in the present tense) is flawed because:
Correct Answer: The illusion of first-hand experience is easily shattered.
Explanation: The text notes that the moment we are "thrown view" (confronted with historical distance), the immediacy Mortimer tries to convey is lost.
What is the author's attitude towards the books by Mortimer and Matyszak?
Correct Answer: Acknowledgement and castigation (or appreciation and criticism, depending on the specific exam version). The reading passage " New Ways of Looking
Explanation: The author recognizes their effort to try something new but points out significant historiographical flaws or "shattered illusions" in their methods. Core Themes of the Passage
The Foreignness of the Past: Historians use L.P. Hartley’s famous quote to dramatize how different the past really was from our modern world.
Narrative Techniques: Some historians, like Ian Mortimer in The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England, use a "guidebook" style and the present tense to make readers feel like they are visiting the past.
Critical Perspective: The passage often critiques these "immersion" methods, suggesting they can be superficial or fail to truly bridge the historical gap. Reading Tips for this Passage
Scan for Proper Nouns: Keywords like "Herodotus," "Ian Mortimer," or "Philip Matyszak" will help you quickly locate specific arguments.
Identify Tone: Pay attention to words like "illusion," "shattered," or "gleefully adopted" to understand if the writer is being supportive or skeptical. Part 1: The Core Themes (What the Passage
Vocabulary Focus: The test often hinges on understanding synonyms for "remoteness" (e.g., gulf, distance, barrier).
Before diving into specific answers, you must understand the three major paradigm shifts that any "New Ways Of Looking At History" passage will discuss. Recognizing these themes allows you to predict answers before you read the questions.
To summarize the New Ways Of Looking At History Reading Answers:
| If the question asks about... | The correct reading answer is... | | :--- | :--- | | The role of the individual vs. structures | "Structural forces (climate, economy) over biographical details." | | Non-Western historiography | "Deconstructing the colonial archive's inherent power asymmetry." | | The value of material culture (pottery, tools) | "Accessing the lives of non-literate populations." | | The problem with teleology | "Assuming the outcome was always inevitable." | | The author's attitude towards the 'new way' | "Cautiously optimistic / qualified endorsement." | | How to reconcile conflicting historical accounts | "Prioritizing proximity to the event and corroboration." |
Perhaps the most urgent "new way" is environmental history. This field treats nature not as a backdrop but as an active agent in human events. Climate change, soil exhaustion, disease ecology, and animal populations become central characters.